


A Lie Less Ordinary

by beaglesinbowties (Girlblunder)



Series: ALLO [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Canon Divergent, Comedy, Drama, F/F, Fake Dating, Mild Sexual Content, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-29
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-17 01:14:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 36,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5848144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Girlblunder/pseuds/beaglesinbowties
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Faced with an unanticipated situation, Kara tells a lie - A Very Big Lie that serves to make life very difficult for both her and Alex.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> You will see lines from canon sprinkled out through the story, but I'd like to think I've selected just enough that it truly just feels like a homage to *some* of canon. Really, I love the show overall (though it of course has its problems) and am enjoying it immensely.
> 
> Chapter two is already completed, but won't be posted until I have most of three done. I'm not entirely certain how long this could be; anywhere from four chapters to more depending on how things develop between the plot points I've mapped out.
> 
> I would like to say I'm very pleased to see more people contributing to this fandom, and also to see how wonderfully splendid this fandom has been about greeting those new contributions!

* * *

Kara stares down at the dark polished wood that composes the floor of the hallway. The apartment building is nicer than she expected, but she supposes that as Art Director of CatCo, James is paid substantially better than she is.

She pauses in front of the apartment door, her palms moist with sweat as she stares at the shiny golden numbers. This is the first time she's been here, but what she has to say has nothing to do with work.

" _You obviously trust him, Kara. And the way you smile when you talk about him...you should just tell him how you feel_."

The memory of Alex's voice steadies her, silencing those worrisome thoughts that remind her that James has only been working at CatCo a couple of weeks and maybe she's moving too fast.

She'd texted him first thing this morning to see if it would be alright for her to stop by, and he'd agreed. She knows he must be curious about the visit, but he'll find out soon enough.

Kara's stomach is clenching painfully, so she smooths a hand over it in hopes that maybe it'll settle down. It doesn't help.

"I can do this," she whispers to herself. Today she's selected her favorite khaki skirt and baby blue button up shirt. Alex had joked that she looked like she was putting on armor rather than work attire and to an extent, Kara agrees. Her work clothes function almost like armor, and today she's hoping that thought will give her the final burst of courage she needs.

She raises a hand to knock solidly at the door before she loses her nerve. It's tempting to use her super senses to track James's progress to the door, but she withstands the urge.

The door rattles, the security chain no doubt being unhooked, and a moment later James is beaming at her in the way that makes her stomach flutter.

"Kara, hey. I was surprised to get your text. What's up?"

James steps back as he speaks, inviting her in with his free hand.

She swoops past him and she's so nervous that she knows she just needs to get this out all at once.

Her eyes are fixed on the floor as she stalks past him, worried she'll stumble more than anything.

"Look James, I've been wanting to talk to you about something and I was thinking that maybe Friday, if you're not busy, maybe you'd like to-"

Her words halt abruptly when she looks up to find a dark haired woman holding a cup of coffee and giving her a curious look.

"Oh, um, hi?" she blurts out with wide eyes.

The woman is beautiful, Kara acknowledges internally, her short hair framing a delicately angled face and contrasting nicely with the bright green eyes.

"Good morning," the woman says with a careful smile.

"Ah, Kara," James says as he rounds her, "you haven't met my girlfriend Lucy Lane."

Kara has to swallow a few times because the lump in her throat feels like it's the size of Krypton.

Lucy's smile is wider now as she steps forward with a hand out. "Oh, Kara! James has told me so much about you."

Kara has to wipe her hands quickly on the side of her skirt because she knows they're damp with moisture and _why had James never mentioned his girlfriend before_?

"Lane?" Her brow furrows as she accepts the handshake. "Any relation to-"

"Lois Lane is my big sister," Lucy quips with a wry smile as the handshake ends.

Kara almost feels bad because it's clear this is a question Lucy's both used to and annoyed by.

"Oh that's nice," she says with a nervous chuckle. She's already started off badly and _why had James never mentioned his girlfriend before?_

"You were saying something about Friday? What do you need to talk about?" James moves to stand next to Lucy so their arms are lightly brushing.

 _They look great together_ , Kara thinks as her stomach drops.

Lucy's eyes narrow slightly and Kara panics. She'd just been about to ask James out on a date. A romantic date.

"Oh, well, you know," she swallows and gulps in some air, "nothing really that important."

James looks confused and Lucy looks suspicious. Kara knows she needs to say _something_ to try and cover the huge blunder she's almost committed.

"I wanted you to meet my girlfriend," she blurts out before she can stop herself.

"Girlfriend?" James looks startled.

Lucy's gives her a thoughtful onceover, but at least now she's smiling. "Oh, were you hoping for like a double date? That's really nice of you since we're both so new to town."

"Right, yeah," James says. His smile is a little forced and Kara knows she's really managed to surprise him.

"Well," she has to gulp in another lungful of air, "Alex and I were just talking about that and we know know a lot of great restaurants since neither of us are really into the cooking thing - wouldn't it be nice to just, you know, all eat out together in like a large, big group?" Her voice has risen along with her anxiety, which she tries to hide behind a high pitched giggle.

"James was right. You're really nice. We'd love to." Lucy is leaning into James's side with a smile, but James looks a little uncomfortable.

"Yeah, right. That sounds great." James's grin is slightly too wide, but Lucy is still looking at Kara.

Kara reaches a hand up to fidget with her glasses and hopes that her smile isn't as close to a grimace as it feels. "Well, that's settled then. I'd better get going though, I still have to grab breakfast and I don't want to be late for work."

James offers to walk her out, and though he still seems a little unsettled, he smiles at her genuinely. "I'm glad you decided to stop by."

Kara nods comically, certain that she _is_ grimacing now but hoping for the best. "Yeah, me too. I feel better."

It's a bold lie but James is preoccupied; he just waves goodbye as she turns and scurries as fast as she humanly can away and out of the apartment building.

Both hands are clenched over her stomach as she walks. She's starting to panic and _oh god Alex is going to kill her_.

She needs a sticky bun if she has to face down her sister and admit the truth.

Her step falters; two sticky buns.

She's nearly at Noonan's when she texts Alex with an invitation to join her for breakfast. Alex accepts the invitation quickly, obviously eager to learn how her meeting with James went.

Kara decides three sticky buns is a round, reasonable number as she sits down at her usual table.

* * *

Alex grins as soon as she enters the restaurant both curious and hopeful on Kara's behalf. She spots Kara nearly instantly and makes a beeline for her table.

Kara is smiling up at Viola as her empty plate is replaced with a new one.

"Thanks Vi," Kara says as the fresh sticky bun is set down in front of her.

Viola smiles at her and greets Alex with a nod as she leaves. Alex nods back and settles into the seat directly across Kara.

She scrutinizes Kara, not sure if the extra sticky bun is for celebrating or consolation.

"Alex," Kara says as she takes her utensils nervously into each hand, "I'm glad you could come."

"Of course," Alex replies. Kara won't look her directly, and Alex's smile wanes.

Kara takes a deep breath and looks up. Alex braces herself for bad news, already plotting a movie night with tons of junk food to help cheer Kara up.

"So, you know how I went over to James's this morning to talk? Well, there's something I need to tell y-"

"Kara, hey!" A deep voice calls out from behind them.

Alex observes a flash of panic on Kara's face before they're joined by a tall, smiling man that Alex remembers seeing briefly yesterday at Kara's apartment.

"James!" Kara declares nervously, confirming Alex's suspicion. "W-what are you doing here?"

 _If things didn't go well, why is he smiling?_ His relaxed demeanor is the exact opposite of Kara's anxiety.

"Just grabbing some tea," James says as he holds up his to-go cup. "I know I acted a little weird earlier, but you kind of blindsided me."

Alex inhales a slow breath and looks back and forth between Kara and James. So Kara _didn't_ chicken out. Maybe things went well?

"Lucy and I are really looking forward to Friday, by the way."

Kara laughs, and it's an unnatural sound as she fidgets with her glasses. She sends a frantic look Alex's way. "W-we're looking forward to Friday too."

Alex is confused. She scrutinizes Kara's face in an attempt to decipher the situation.

James turns to face Alex, delight showing on his face. "Oh! Oh, you must be Alex, Kara's girlfriend."

She murmurs something noncommittal as the words _Kara's girlfriend_ echo in her mind. His hand is being held out to her and she forces a grim smile onto her face as she accepts the gesture. She sends Kara a displeased look as soon as James glances away.

Kara's eyes are wide as her face contorts into a mix of pleading desperation. Alex grits her teeth.

 _Kara has some explaining to do_.

"We actually kind of met the other day when, you know," James clears his throat uncomfortably as the smile drops from his face.

Alex lifts her chin in acknowledgement; she'd gone over to Kara's apartment in an attempt not only try and explain about the DEO more, but to apologize for how harsh she'd been on the training mat.

She'd been startled to find Kara in her Supergirl costume with two friends over.

There had been no introductions as Kara had shooed her friends out of the apartment, but Alex hasn't forgotten the faces of the men who know Kara's secret.

"Right," she says stiffly as she narrows her eyes up at the newly identified James.

James shifts his weight from foot to foot and his smile tentatively returns. "Kara never told me you were her girlfriend."

The word makes her inhale sharply, and she hopes her smile looks as fake as it feels as she sends a vexed look Kara's way. "Gee, I wonder why."

"Me too," James declares jovially, "but I'm interrupting your breakfast. Let me get out of your hair. I'll see you Friday."

Kara says something to James as he departs, but stares down at the table as soon as he's gone. There's an awkward silence as Alex glares at her, but Kara's focusing on her sticky bun and clutching onto her fork and knife as if they'll solve her problems somehow.

"You told him we're _dating_?" Alex explodes when she hears the bell above door jingle to signify that James has exited Noonan's.

There's a mix of shame and embarrassment on Kara's face. "Look, I can explain."

Alex is still angry, but it's clear that Kara is upset. She finds herself leaning back into her chair and taking a deep breath; she _hates_ when Kara's upset.

Her jaw works as she tries to calm herself down. "Great, because I'd really like to know how you went from asking James out to _telling him that you're dating your sister_."

She bites her lip because she's doing a terrible job at controlling her temper. There's a disturbed look on Kara's face.

"Adopted sister," Kara offers halfheartedly as she brings a hand up to rub at her face. "I'm sorry, okay? I _was_ going to ask him out, but halfway through the invitation I realized that there's this woman in his apartment-"

"Woman? What woman?" Alex's lips purse to keep herself from asking more questions.

Kara's smile is sad. "His girlfriend Lucy."

"He has a girlfriend?" Kara never said he had a girlfriend. Alex would have never told her to ask him out.

"I didn't know either. He pretty much _never_ mentioned her, but then again we hang out mostly at work and then when I'm," Kara stops speaking but tilts her head from side to side and makes a gliding gesture with her hand.

Alex's lips twist into a grimace. "You really have to stop telling people about that. In any case; so, okay. I get that you were surprised to find out he has a girlfriend, but how does that lead to me being your _girlfriend_?"

Kara begins cutting vigorously into her sticky bun. "I'd already begun to ask him out for Friday and Lucy was looking at me like 'were you about to ask my boyfriend out' and _I was about to ask her boyfriend out_ so I panicked and-" Kara shoves a large piece of the sticky bun into her mouth and begins chewing frantically.

Alex rubs at her face with both hands, wondering how Kara can face down alien baddies and stay focused but buckle when confronted with a socially awkward situation. Alex stares at Kara while she chews. The blue eyes are averted again, but Alex can just make out the welling of frustrated tears.

 _Dammit_ , she curses internally as the last of her anger fades.

"So what are we supposed to do Friday," she asks flatly.

Kara stops moving for a moment and slowly looks up at her. A grin spreads on her face and she's almost bouncing in her seat. "You're coming? I was just going to make up some excuse."

"Kara, the cat's out of the bag now. You think that either of them is going to forget that you have a girlfriend just because you cancel one double date?" Alex feels odd as she says this. If she thinks about it many of their movie or restaurant nights out could be construed as dates, but it's alien to actually consider going on a _real_ one - if only for appearance's sake. Kara is supposed to be her _sister_ , after all.

"You're right. James wouldn't let it drop and, god, Lucy's a _Lane_ after all."

Alex is quiet as Kara continues eating, still feeling off but not sure why. A distant memory is beginning to surface which she tries to resist.

The attempt proves to be pointless.

_They're in Alex's room studying. Alex has AP exams and Kara's own finals are coming soon. She knows Kara's nervous - can feel it in the leg bouncing and making the bed jiggle._

" _Kara," she warns._

" _Sorry," Kara says as she reaches up to tuck some hair behind her ear. "I know I'm bugging you."_

_Alex stops and sits up, scooting to join Kara sitting at the edge of the bed. "No more than usual," she jokes as she bumps their shoulders together._

_Kara doesn't smile or chuckle, instead scooting a little further away and pushing her hands flat against the mattress._

_The move makes Alex frown. "Hey, what's up?"_

" _Nothing."_

 _Alex is worried; Kara is a_ horrible _liar. She reaches out a tentative hand to touch Kara's shoulder, and is hurt when Kara pulls away._

" _Please don't," Kara says in a small voice._

_There's stinging in Alex's eyes but she tries not to take the rebuff personally. Something's going on with Kara, her own feelings aren't important. "Kara, please talk to me. What's wrong?"_

_Kara's still staring down at the notebook in her lap, but after a moment her head rises and she meets Alex's gaze._

_They're staring at each other so long that Alex's heart is beating out of control. "K-"_

_The kiss catches her by surprise; it's warm and soft and won-so wrong. She jerks back and already she can see the tears welling in Kara's eyes._

" _Hey," she says softly as she cups Kara's face, "it's okay. We're okay. Things are kind of confusing right now, but never forget that you're my sister and I love you."_

_The words are the right ones, she knows. Eliza would approve. They still feel like lead on her tongue._

_When Kara ducks her head against her chest all she can do is wrap her arms around her and hug her tightly._

"-as thinking maybe that sushi place that's like ten minutes from your apartment."

Alex blinks and lets the words sink in as she's pulled back to the present. "Right, that sounds good."

Kara stops chewing and puts her utensils down. She swallows and looks up at Alex. There's something unreadable in her eyes. "Thank you for doing this by the way. You don't know how much it means to me."

Alex forces a relaxed look on her face and let's out a heavy breath. "You owe me."

"I know." Kara's head bobs amiably as she reaches out to grab Alex's hand.

The fingertips that brush her own are familiar and foreign all at once, and it takes considerable willpower for Alex not to jerk her hand away. She relaxes after a few moments under the soothing attention.

Her smile is genuine by the time Kara pulls away, wondering what the hell is wrong with her that _that_ particular memory has surfaced now and made her begin to worry about what's probably nothing.

"Is there anything else you wanna tell me?" she jokes as she relaxes back into her chair.

The smile on Kara's face freezes. "Well-"

" _-Cat Grant, CEO of CatCo Media, is reporting that Superman and Supergirl are in fact related."_

Alex covers her face with one hand and pulls out her cell phone with the other. "I'm going to call Hank."

* * *

Hank is staring at her and for _once_ Kara wishes she that he would display his emotions as easily as she does. He has, without a doubt, the best poker face Kara has ever encountered.

"What's next? A book deal? A reality show? _Keeping up with the Kryptonians_?"

The sarcastic words are delivered in a tone that is only slightly elevated from what Kara is used to. As she tries to determine how mad Director Henshaw is - if he's mad at all - Hank shakes his head and walks away.

Alex's hand is on her back, guiding her further away from the main hub of the DEO and into a secluded corner.

"Is he mad?" Kara asks as she stares back to where she can see Hank scowling up at one of the large monitors.

"It's...hard to tell with him," Alex says in a way that tells Kara yes, _Director Henshaw is definitely mad_.

Her face scrunches up. Alex's hand is rubbing her upper back gently, and it helps ease the knots that have tangled in her stomach. She's been trying to prove something to Director Henshaw, and she feels like she's just taken several steps back.

"Why'd you do that interview anyway?" Alex asks and interrupts her thoughts.

"James," she blurts out. Her cheeks flush and she clears her throat. "At first, anyway. Once I got there I realized that it was a chance for me to-I don't know, vocalize some thoughts I've kind of been struggling with. I guess I kind of thought that maybe it would help me figure out what Supergirl might really mean to _me_."

Alex's face softens. "Everyone wonders who they are at some point in their lives."

Kara nods, because she can remember Alex in college. At first Alex had been great about calling and visiting, but then she'd started to withdraw halfway through freshman year. It wasn't until late into her sophomore year that she'd hesitantly told Kara about having a girlfriend.

Kara's stomach still twists uncomfortably when she thinks of those times.

Alex's hand on her back reminds her that despite a lot of miscommunication, Alex had come back to her eventually. It helps knowing now that some of the distance that had come again later was because of Alex's involvement with the DEO.

She focuses on the present with a half smile.

"You'll figure it out," Alex says gently.

Kara is about to respond when Vasquez speaks up.

"Sir, we have a Code Grey."

Everyone's attention turns to the main monitor.

"Looks like a multiple car collision. Highway patrol and EMS are en route," Vasquez pauses as she scrutinizes several panels, "no alien presence detected."

"Did you check thermal activity?" Hank asks as he squints up at the scene of the accident.

Kara's heart is pounding. This isn't a job for the DEO, but it _is_ a job for Supergirl. She bites her lip and looks at Alex.

Alex presses her lips together but Kara can still see a smile peeking out. She's not surprised when Alex tilts her head as if to say ' _what are you waiting for?_ '

Kara is gone before Hank even realizes it.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex breathes carefully in and out through her nose as she waits for Kara to finish practicing the maneuvers Alex has demonstrated over the last several training sessions.

"Good," she says with a nod. The previous few days have been relatively quiet; a fact she's been grateful for since her leg has definitely needed the time to heal.

Kara smiles at her and blows some hair out of her face. "If it weren't for the whole costume concept, I'd _so_ have my hair pulled back for every fight."

"You'd look a _little_ too much more like Kara Danvers for that." A haircut at this point is also out of the question, but Alex understands Kara's frustration.

The smile on Kara's face freezes and then the blue eyes are nervously turned away. Alex raises an eyebrow at the now fidgeting hands and shifting boots.

"So, um, do you think you're ready for tonight?"

Kara's nerves suddenly make sense to Alex, who has to swallow when she realizes that Kara is referring to their date-that's-not-a-date.

She rubs the back of her neck as the awkwardness of the idea seeps in. They haven't directly spoken of the date since the first day, though Alex knows they probably should have. Kara is still embarrassed about it all. Alex doesn't like this uncomfortable tension between them, so she does what she does best.

"Oh yeah, I've been thinking up ways you can make it up to me. Maybe I get all the best parts of takeout for the next month or so," she lets her words trail off menacingly.

Kara looks stricken, her lips trying to form words and failing. "But you always let me have the potstickers and cheesiest slices and oh, no no no! Pisang Goreng too?" she finally blurts out in a rising voice.

Alex is smirking by the time Kara finishes. "Pisang Goreng too," she affirms smugly.

"Aleeeex." The word is drawn out into a whine as Kara tugs beseechingly on her arm.

"Nope." Alex stares straight ahead because she _knows_ Kara is making her puppy face and Alex is not giving up this unique opportunity. She deserves potstickers too, dammit!

Weight settles against the outside of her shoulder and Alex has to squint in the effort it takes not to look. She crosses her arms in an attempt to firm her resolve.

Her eyes slip to the left entirely without her permission. She scowls at the piteous look Kara is giving her. She heaves out a put-upon sigh and rolls her eyes. "Fine, I'll _share_."

Kara squeals and bounces up and down on the balls of her feet as she squeezes Alex into a quick hug.

"Oof," comes the surprise gust of air from Alex. She's glad that the Kryptonite filter is still on because the hug is definitely strong enough to break something.

"Sorry," Kara sing-songs as she pulls back and bounces her shoulders in a little victory dance.

"Yeah, I can tell you're _really_ sorry," Alex deadpans. She waits a moment to allow Kara her happy moment before continuing. "If you're done, have you thought of a cover story for tonight?"

Kara sobers and reaches back with both hands to fidget with her cape. "Oh, uh, I don't know. What do you think?"

Alex is glad that she's considered the situation a few hundred times since Kara originally sprung the idea on her. "The easiest lies to keep are the ones closest to the truth."

Kara's head tilts thoughtfully as she turns the words over in her mind. "What did you have in mind?"

"We keep our story essentially the same as it really is - less the fact that you're an alien superhero and I'm part of an agency that monitors alien activity. You just work at CatCo and I work for the FBI, everything else is the same."

"So you want to tell them we're sisters?" Kara looks uncomfortable with the idea.

"Adoptive sisters," Alex gently corrects. "I know it feels weird because we haven't made that distinction for a long time, but it suits our current situation."

Kara still looks unsure, so Alex continues. "You didn't come to live with us until I was already in high school. We bonded for a couple of years before I went away to college. We've always been best friends, but since we've been living in the same city again things have changed."

Alex's palms are sweaty and she wonders if the words sound too rehearsed.

"Okay," Kara says with a furrowed brow that clears after a moment, "that doesn't sound bad."

"Yeah?" Alex asks before she can stop herself.

Kara looks at her, a smile blossoming on her face. "Yeah. I think it's believable enough for James."

Something withers inside Alex, an acidic taste rising in the back of her throat. She clears it in an attempt to rid herself of the unwelcome feeling. "So, have you thought of your end game here?"

Alex is proud that the words come out sounding normal. She's really not sure where the weird feelings are coming from and she's grumpy that they've stirred in the first place.

"Um, no?"

The expression on Kara's face is a comical representation of desperate confusion. Alex finds herself smiling. She reaches out an arm to throw over Kara's shoulders. "We'll figure it out, though I'm not certain how I feel about you trying to make a move on someone that's taken."

"What? That's not what I'm trying to do at all!" Kara squawks out in surprise.

"Good," Alex says as she guides them over to the wall and turns the Kryptonite emitters completely off.

"I just got kinda stuck. I _really_ like James, but he's also my friend. I kinda wanna get to know Lucy." Kara's head settles back down against Alex's shoulder as they walk. "And with you there I know I can handle anything, even their couple-y-ness."

"Given any interviews lately, Miss Danvers?" Director Henshaw's voice cuts through the comfortable bubble surrounding Alex and Kara.

Kara straightens with a wince, shifting her shoulders to adjust her cape as Hank comes into view. "He's _never_ going to forgive me for that," she says under her breath.

Alex coughs into her fist to cover a laugh. Kara shoots her a glare before adopting a serious look.

"No, Director Henshaw. As I've explained before-"

"How was training?" Hank asks as he focuses on Alex.

"She's progressing well, sir. Supergirl was just trying to-"

"Well if you're finished training, I'd like to remind you both that this is a government facility designed to monitor and maintain alien activity." He levels a steady look at them both. "Try to act a little more professional while you're here."

Alex straightens smartly. Perhaps she has gotten too comfortable with Kara around, but their more comfortable interactions have been private for the most part. She raises her chin and narrows her eyes.

"Of course, sir."

Hank presses his lips together in displeasure. Though her words are respectful, her tone is anything but.

"Back to work," he grumbles as he turns to glare back up at the monitors.

Alex and Kara share an amused look behind his back.

_See you later?_ Kara mouths rather than speaking.

Alex nods and shoots her a wink. Her face is wiped clean of all amusement by the time Hank turns back to check on them - only to find Supergirl gone.

"I hate when she does that," Hank mumbles gruffly.

Alex bites the inside of her cheek to keep from smirking.

* * *

Parking is ridiculous in National City on a Friday night, but Kara doesn't mind. She fidgets in the passenger seat as Alex finally finds a place along the street nearly two blocks away from the restaurant.

"It's a good thing no one was seriously hurt in that collision the other day," Alex says as she tugs the emergency brake on and turns off the car.

"Yeah, all things considered everyone was pretty lucky." Kara is staring down at her lap because despite Alex's assurances this situation still feels very awkward.

A hand, warm and soft, covers hers. "We can still cancel." Alex's voice is low and soothing, with no judgement or effort to sway Kara either way.

It's exactly what she needs to hear. Kara blows out a breath and turns her hand to squeeze Alex's. "Thanks, but I think I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Alex's thumb rubs the back of Kara's hand as she speaks. It makes Kara's next smile effortless.

"Yeah. I'm just nervous."

Alex squeezes her hand once before pulling it away to unbuckle her seatbelt. "I get it," Alex says as they both exit the car, "it's a... _unique_ set of circumstances. At least you look great."

Kara laughs and adjusts her new shirt. She'd remembered Alex's reminder that blue is her best color as she'd sought to replace the one lost on her premiere night as Supergirl. The indigo satiny button up makes her feel confident, especially now that she has Alex's express approval with her choice.

They talk quietly about their days as they take the short walk to the restaurant, and Kara has to hold in a laugh when she catches Alex making a face at something she's said.

"What? She's not _that_ bad."

Alex makes another face, so Kara clears her throat before amending her statement. "Okay, Miss Grant has a lot of...rough edges, but she's accomplished a lot."

"Kara, your name is literally _four letters_ and she can't get it right." Alex raises a hand to tug playfully at Kara's shirt collar. "I can't respect a woman who doesn't respect you."

The happy warmth she's long associated with Alex blossoms in her chest, and she grins as she reaches up to adjust her glasses. "Well, I won't try to make you like her."

"Good," Alex says as she loops their arms together, "because you'd pretty much just be wasting time and energy."

Kara slaps playfully at the thin leather covering Alex's arm, trying to seem stern but utterly failing. She laughs, her head ducking down so she can send a playful glare Alex's way. The lights of the city seem to make Alex's eyes dance with delight. She doesn't notice that they've reached the restaurant, or the couple waiting outside.

"Kara," Lucy calls out cheerfully as they draw closer.

The ease of a moment before is gone as Kara straightens and offers a clumsy wave. Her stomach twists uncomfortably when she sees James standing with Lucy - who's snugly tucked under one of his long arms. He looks as handsome as ever in a white button up shirt and dark slacks. Lucy looks attractive in a slinky dark shirt that shows off her collarbones and grey capris.

They still look incredible together. Kara tries to remember why she agreed to this.

Alex slides a hand over her arm before pulling away to step forward.

"Lucy Lane? I'm Alex Danvers." Alex's quiet confidence helps Kara focus; she's glad that Alex has taken control of the moment and given her time to find her equilibrium.

"I'm so glad to meet you," Lucy says warmly as they shake hands.

As soon as their handshake ends, Alex reaches out to James even though they already know each other.

Kara steps alongside Alex with a smile. "Have you been waiting long?" she asks Lucy while Alex and James exchange a few words in greeting.

Lucy shakes her head amiably. "No, parking was _brutal_. We've only been here a few minutes."

The queasy feeling in Kara's stomach begins to dissipate once the pleasantries are exchanged, though it helps when Alex places a steadying hand on her back.

They enter the restaurant, and it doesn't take long for them to be seated; Kara always remembers to make a reservation for the rare nights she and Alex decide to go out. The hostess leads them to their favorite table, and Kara has to subdue a chuckle when Alex takes the seat across from James.

It only takes a minute for them to settle comfortably and decide on drinks. They're perusing the menu and trying to decide on the selections for their first round of sushi when the first uncomfortable question comes.

"So Alex, you're a Danvers too?" James just sounds mildly curious, but his eyes are slightly narrowed as his attention turns from his menu to Alex.

"Yep," Alex says nonchalantly.

Kara begins shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She hadn't expected such a question so soon into the evening. An awkward silence hangs as Alex patiently marks down her selections.

"Is that just a weird coincidence?" James asks with a hesitant smile.

"Nope," comes Alex's immediate response. She picks up the order card and offers it around the table. "Anyone else ready to mark down their sushi?"

Kara accepts the paper quickly, happy to have something to focus on instead of the conversation.

She nudges Alex's knee with her own because _does Alex really need to be drawing this out_?

Alex sighs and straightens. Kara glances to the side to see that she's making eye contact with James now, a serious look on her face.

"Kara's my foster sister," she says bluntly.

Kara swallows uncomfortably, feeling ready to flee. This isn't exactly how she pictured this happening. Alex's hand nudges against her thigh, and she can almost hear the silent _trust me_. Kara picks up the pen and begins marking down her choices. She trusts Alex, but she can't watch this unfold.

"That's uh-"

"We were both teenagers when she came to live with us," Alex continues placidly, "and for a long time we weren't quite sure what we were to each other. Best friends? Sure, but it was never quite enough. Sisters? Maybe in a way, but that was never really _enough_ either."

There's a pause in the conversation, and Kara chances a peek up only to find Alex giving her an affectionate look. Her stomach flips, and she's almost glad when Alex turns her attention back to James.

"What we have now is still new, but for the first time it finally feels _right_."

Kara's throat works for a few seconds as she tries to swallow. They hadn't rehearsed anything for tonight. Though she knows Alex has proven to be an exceptional liar, there's truth in what Alex has said.

_The easiest lies to keep are the ones closest to the truth._

The memory from earlier in the day hits her. She knows logically that Alex _is_ actually speaking of their roles to each other now as sisters and confidantes, but something in Alex's delivery makes the tiniest part of Kara wonder how their relationship might continue to change over time.

"Well, now that that's cleared up," Lucy says to break the lingering silence, "are you finished picking out what you want yet, Kara?"

Kara smiles gratefully at the change of subject and hands over the order card.

Lucy smiles back before examining the card. "Oo, you ordered the green dragon roll! I was looking at that one. Is it good?"

Any remaining discomfort in the atmosphere evaporates with Lucy and Kara's shared enthusiasm for food.

By the time their second round of sushi arrives, Kara finds that _really_ likes Lucy. Though she still feels like there could have been something there with James at some point, she's glad that he's with someone who seems pretty great.

Looking at and interacting with James grows easier as time passes, and by the final round of orders Kara can honestly say that she's happy to be out with Alex, James, _and_ Lucy.

"Are you gonna eat that?" Kara asks as she eyes a last piece of salmon on Alex's plate.

Alex, long used to Kara's appetite, neatly deposits the salmon onto Kara's plate with her chopsticks.

Kara grins and consumes the fish, unaware of the slightly horrified looks James and Lucy are sending her.

"What?" she asks as she swallows the last bite.

"My stomach hurts just looking at you," James quips with wide eyes.

"I don't know if I'm more amazed or terrified," Lucy admits.

Alex smirks at both of them, comfortably slouched back against her chair and sipping on a cup of sake. "Be amazed," she says dryly, "I've seen her out-eat a two hundred and thirty pound linebacker."

Lucy stares at her a moment before nodding. "Respect."

Kara is considering the two kinds of ice cream she'll be getting for dessert - Alex will be too full to eat her own - when Alex straightens stiffly next to her.

She turns her head in surprise to see Alex frowning down at her phone.

"It's work," Alex says stiffly.

Their eyes meet, and Alex continues, "We need to cut this evening short."

"Oh, I hope it's not serious." Lucy looks concerned. She'd been very respectful when Alex had mentioned working for the FBI, citing her own experience in the military.

Kara is suddenly very grateful that they'd thought to use the FBI cover story; she'll be able to leave for emergencies with Alex without raising suspicion. James might know her secret, but Lucy doesn't - she hopes.

"I'm sorry to have to duck out on you," Alex says to Lucy and James as she stands and tugs her wallet out of her pocket.

Kara believes Alex is actually being honest. Up until the call came, Alex has been very relaxed and charismatic all evening.

"You're leaving too?" James says in surprise, obviously addressing the standing Kara.

"Yes," Kara says quickly, "we're pretty much finished here anyway."

She forces a smile, wondering why the usually intelligent James hasn't figured out that she's going to be _flying_ almost as soon as she's out the door.

Alex deposits money on the table. "Dinner's on us."

She and Kara have already taken a few steps away when James calls out after them.

"Maybe we can do this again another time."

Kara freezes. Alex gives her an impatient look and a shrug, so Kara turns back. "Yeah, sure, maybe."

They hurry out the front door before they can be interrupted again.

"The Arboretum is being targeted by an unknown assailant. Hank is worried about civilian casualties," Alex declares lowly as soon as they're outside.

Kara's stomach flops. The Arboretum is a collection of restaurants and shops that she imagines is very crowded on a Friday night. "Meet you there?"

Alex's lips press into a thin line, and Kara knows that Alex wants to come with her - but Alex doesn't have her gear. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

Kara nods her agreement and hurries around the darkened side of the building so she can change and take flight. Her enhanced hearing tells her the moment that Alex takes off in the sedan.

* * *

Alex doesn't bother checking in with Hank as she storms into the DEO. She makes a beeline for the locker room to change, and her gear is strapped into place in record time.

"What have we got?" she asks Hank as she joins him in front of the wall of monitors. She adjusts a strap on her vest so it settles more securely.

"False alarm," Hank says sternly. He doesn't look away from the largest screen, which shows a man in odd armor storming around The Arboretum.

Alex's head jerks in surprise. "False alarm?" She looks at the monitor and back at Hank's face to try and see if he's joking. "He just shot into a clothing store!"

Hank's face is grim when he turns to her. "This is not alien activity, and thus not under our jurisdiction."

Her protests are halted when she finally catches sight of Kara in the Supergirl costume approaching the unknown subject. "Do we have any teams in the area?"

"This is _not_ part of our job description, Agent Danvers."

Alex swallows a growl and clenches her teeth. She inhales and exhales carefully, wiping all aggression from her face. "Understood, sir."

Hank blinks at her in surprise. "Good."

"If that'll be all sir, I wasn't on duty tonight." Alex is careful to keep her face neutral as Hank's eyes narrow at her.

"Very well. I'll see you tomorrow." Hank's voice is wary, but she's done nothing to merit any reprimands. It _is_ her night off.

Alex nods and turns to move as if she's headed back to the locker room. Once out of sight she immediately changes directions, heading straight to the carpool to commandeer a motorcycle. Her sidearms are already strapped into place, though she's limited to the spare magazines in one of her cargo pockets.

She halts any questions about her destination with a glare, though she knows Hank will be getting a call as soon as she's out of the garage. She doesn't care because Kara's out there facing a big guy in armor that shoots what look like fiery _lasers_ from his fists.

She's been on the road several minutes when her comm goes off in her ear.

" _Director Henshaw is mad,_ " Vasquez says in lieu of a greeting.

"Yeah? Well, so am I," Alex quips back with a smirk she knows Vasquez can't see. She makes a sharp turn, upset that traffic is keeping her from Kara.

At least she's made a good choice in taking the Ducati.

" _Do you even know what you're up against?_ " Vasquez sounds exasperated. It makes Alex smile.

"Well, a real friend might tell me what she knows." Alex stops speaking to maneuver around another line of stuck cars, and her heartbeat accelerates because she can see fire and an explosion just off in the distance.

" _Reactron_."

Alex's face is grim as Vasquez gives her a rundown on the data the DEO has collected on Reactron. She's about to thank her compatriot for the assistance when Vasquez is suddenly cut off.

" _Return to the DEO immediately, Agent Danvers_."

She grimaces and tugs the comm out of her ear. Hank can reprimand her _after_ she helps Kara.

Alex is only a couple of blocks away now, and she worries that she's taken too long. It feels like an eternity since she left Kara outside of their sushi place, though she knows it's only been closer to half an hour.

Half an hour is a long time for Kara to be facing Reactron alone. Fury curls in her stomach when she considers Hank's refusal to assist. He's usually a stickler for rules and regulations, but it's different when it involves _Kara_.

The motorcycle screeches to a stop as she arrives at the large parking lot that leads to The Arboretum. She takes the barest second to make sure it's parked correctly before she hops off and begins to assess the situation.

The area is a mess, several overturned cars halting the progress of people trying to flee the area. There are stragglers intermittently rushing away - Alex is the only one running _to_ the distant sounds of a fight.

"Argh!"

The pained shout is distinctively Kara's, and Alex's quick walk becomes a sharp jog. She wants to sprint, but the last thing she needs is to come crashing right into the middle of an unknown situation. She could distract Kara and get her hurt.

Her breath is coming out in heavy pants by the time Reactron and Kara come into view. She's hardly winded, but she is holding back panic. Breathing becomes easier when she sees Kara on her feet; her face is dirty, but her fists are up as she glares at the dented metal suit that covers Reactron.

"You _almost_ fight as well as your cousin, but that's not saying much. He's weak." Reactron's voice is low and gravelly. Alex dislikes it immediately.

"Yeah, well, you…'re not nice." Kara's lips are puckered; she's obviously not pleased with her own retort.

Alex shakes her head as she tries to analyze the situation. She spots a small group of civilians trapped on the far side of the courtyard, and the begins maneuvering her way around as she keeps an eye on Kara and Reactron.

As she reaches the two women and single child, Kara's conversation seems to be over as Reactron shouts and lets loose a flurry of energy blasts.

"Come on, follow me," Alex says to the small group. She keeps her voice soft to keep the group calm, but as soon as they're moving steadily behind her she lets her worry show. Kara is barely fending off the assailant she apparently isn't prepared for.

It seems like a small eternity until Alex's escort is complete, and the tallest woman spares her a grateful smile as they make their escape. Alex rushes hurriedly back to where she can hear metal and fists meeting, and her heart seems to leap up into her throat when she sees Kara go down.

All thoughts other than helping Kara are out the window as she hops up onto a crumbling concrete pylon. "Hey tin can, over here!"

She fires few shots off at his head as he turns, which are deflected by his armored mask. His head jerks and he lets out a growl before raising his fists in her direction.

_Shit_ , she thinks a moment before jumping off the pylon and rolling to the side.

She lets momentum carry her, but as she pushes to her feet she realizes the shot never made it off. Her chest heaves when she sees Kara is on her feet and advancing on a confused looking Reactron.

Reactron is looking at his fists in bewilderment, but Alex can see the scorch marks around his breastplate and its flickering core.

He offers Kara a scowl before taking off clumsily.

Alex sees Kara gather herself to take off after him, but she hesitates as her attention turns to Alex.

"I'm fine," Alex says. She's careful to keep her voice sounding as normal as possible. The bottom right side of her shirt is sticky, and she thinks she must have rolled over some exposed rebar in her haste to escape the blast.

Kara stares at her a moment before shaking her head. "No you're not."

"It's not that bad." Alex's attempt to deflect further scrutiny fails as Kara walks over to her and brushes fingertips lightly over her side.

Her eyes widen in surprise when Kara's other hand reaches out and cups the back of her neck, tilting her head a little to the right. "You've got a nasty cut here, too."

Alex licks her lips and clears her throat, because she's been so busy trying to ignore the pain in her side that she hadn't noticed the head wound. Kara's thumb is gently pushing around the skin of her neck and a little up into her scalp, and she winces when it jars something that is lightly embedded in her flesh.

"Let's you get you out of here," Kara says firmly. She grips the back of Alex's neck a moment longer before letting go and sliding around to Alex's uninjured side.

There's a funny feeling in the pit of Alex's stomach as Kara lifts her arm and pulls it over broad shoulders. "He's getting away. I can walk fine," Alex mutters in a half-hearted protest.

Kara shoots her a small smile, exasperated affection showing in her expression. "His suit is damaged and his weapons aren't working. We'll find him. Humor me, okay?"

Alex doesn't say anything, instead squeezing Kara's shoulder. They're quiet as they move over to the parking lot.

Just as Alex is considering having Kara fly the borrowed motorcycle back to the DEO, Alex looks up to see a furious Hank exiting a black SUV.

"Crap," she says, drawing a confused look from Kara.

"Agent Danvers." Hank crosses his arms and glares at the both of them.

"Director Henshaw." Alex meets his eyes without flinching. Regardless of any standing orders, she doesn't regret responding to this threat. "I accept full responsibility for my actions."

She can see more anger flare in his eyes, before his face becomes eerily calm. His glances down once quickly and takes in her injuries.

"Get her into the truck," he says to no one in particular.

Kara shakes her head as two DEO agents step forward. Alex smiles as Kara helps her get into the SUV, though it's hard to maintain once she remembers that she might be losing her job or going to prison for disobeying her superior.

"Is everything okay?" Kara asks with a worried look.

Alex's anxiety eases as she looks at Kara. "Well, I mean I _think_ the date went well, but what are we going to do for the next one? What if they want to do something _really_ couple-y?"

Kara freezes, an alarmed look appearing on her face.

"Oh crap, I said yes to another one, didn't I?" Kara's eyes are comically wide and panicked now, and Alex can only chuckle because sometimes she really loves how easy it is to distract Kara.

"I have that effect on women," Alex quips as she closes her eyes. She's tired, her side hurts, and her head is beginning to throb. She's really not looking forward to returning to the DEO.

"Actually, uh, what are you doing tomorrow? Miss Grant's throwing that party…" Kara's voice trails off uncomfortably.

"You're lucky I love you," Alex grumbles when she considers having to squeeze into a fancy dress and heels with barely healed injuries.

"If you're quite finished." Hank's voice is impatient and Alex can imagine the unhappy look he's shooting Kara for lingering in the open door of the SUV.

Alex's eyes open when she's enveloped in a quick hug. Lips brush against her ear in Kara's haste as she whispers "I'll be waiting for you at the DEO."

Kara pulls away and they share a look. Alex wishes - not for the first time - that she could bottle the effect Kara has on her. It would certainly help with the reprimand that's looming in her immediate future.

As the SUV rumbles to life and Hank glares at her through the rear-view mirror, she changes her mind.

_Or now._ _Now would be good_.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to Docs, this has officially been finished for a week. Oops. 
> 
> No, I'm kidding (well it WAS finished for a week). I was waiting until I got at least half through chapter four before posting, and I took some time for R&R this weekend. Ah, it was nice. I feel quite recharged. :D
> 
> I'm sorry I didn't really reply to many comments last chapter, I was kind of fizzled out by the end of the week. I read every single one, and I'm glad that everyone seems to be enjoying this. Even when I was feeling generally gloomy, your comments cheered me right up! :)

* * *

Kara sighs as she exits Cat's office, still upset with the rather nasty article that Miss Grant has penned about Supergirl. Her protestations and arguments had landed on deaf ears, and she's more irritated than she cares to admit.

"Didn't wanna listen, huh?" James asks amiably as he leans against her desk and crosses his arms.

"Ugh, no." She pushes her glasses up with one hand. The other is cradling the final version of Miss Grant's article that needs to be sent off to be printed immediately. Kara has been planning the party all week as per Miss Grant's wishes, and one of the last things she's been waiting on has been this article.

She hopes there's enough time to print off the thousand copies of the special edition magazine for tonight's party.

"Miss Grant's a hard woman," James says with a smile.

Kara's lips twitch and then she's smiling too. "That's one way of putting it."

"Psst."

The loud and obvious whisper makes Kara realize she's been subconsciously leaning toward James. She straightens and turns to find Winn making odd gestures several feet away.

Kara sends a side glance to James, who looks as puzzled as she is.

"You alright there, Winn?" He asks when Winn continues to wave his hands stiffly alongside his hips.

Winn rolls his eyes. "Come on, I wanna show you guys something."

James shrugs at Kara and they both move toward Winn, who grins and begins leading the way to the elevator.

It's quiet in the elevator, but as soon as they step out into an empty hallway Winn begins speaking animatedly.

His speech is hushed and hurried, and it's not until they're standing inside of what seems like a partially remodeled office that Kara understands.

"Wow," she says as she looks around. The multiple screens and assorted tech seem out of place with the backdrop of unfinished walls, but excitement sparks within her. It makes her think a little of the central hub of information at the DEO, and so she grins.

"Nice job, Winn," James agrees as he takes in the room with his hands on his hips.

Winn fidgets with his tie, a delighted grin on his face. "Well, I just remembered what you said about Kara not wanting to do things alone like Superman."

"El mayora," Kara murmurs as she basks in the moment. She loves Alex, but it's nice to get support from her friends too.

"Right, El may-" Winn stops running his hands over his tie as he blushes, turning and clearing his throat as he pulls something up on his computer screen. "I watched the coverage of your fight with Reactron last night, and it made me want to have something...better prepared than the setup we had before. His suit was damaged, but it probably won't take him long to fix."

Kara and James both move to join when at his computer, and Kara squeezes Winn's shoulder lightly in gratitude. "Thanks."

Winn shrugs and refuses to look away from his monitor. "It's, you know, what are friends for?"

"So, Reactron?" James prompts when Winn doesn't move.

"Oh, right!" Winn begins listing off research he's done on Reactron, with James chiming in with his own personal knowledge.

Kara nods, though it's information that Alex had mostly relayed to her the night before.

" _Suspended?" Kara's voice is high and upset, and she has half a mind to fly back to the DEO to give Hank a piece of her mind._

" _It's fine, Kara. I disobeyed my superior officer. I'm lucky Hank didn't decide on something harsher." Alex is carefully tugging on a t-shirt as she speaks._

_Kara's hands itch with the effort it takes not to round the bed and help - Alex had gotten hurt trying to help_ her. _The flash of white gauze on Alex's side and neck makes Kara swallow. "If I'd have known you'd get in trouble for helping me-"_

" _It was my choice, and one I'd make again." Alex doesn't falter in her nightly routine as she gently cuts Kara off._

_There's a tingling in Kara's chest as she wishes, just for a moment, that should could hug Alex as tightly as she really wants to. "Tell me what you know about...what was his name?"_

" _Reactron. Vasquez actually did some digging and she thinks she might have an idea as to who he might really be," Alex supplies as she slides into her side of the bed._

She tunes back into the conversation right when Winn starts going on about some mold common around radioactively rich areas.

"Wait, so you can track him?" Her hands curl into loose fists. She'd heard the story behind Ben Krull, and though she's still angry that he's hurt Alex it's that feeling that makes her understand the part of him that's just so incredibly hurt over losing his wife.

"I think so," Winn says with a mix of bravado and anxiety.

She's about to tell him to try it when James places a hand on her arm.

"Kara, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Kara tilts her head and frowns. "Yeah, sure."

James leads her to the other side of the room, his voice low and his face concerned. "Maybe you should call your cousin on this one. I've seen what Reactron can do."

"What? James, if I do that now I'm _done_. Every villain in the country is going to think that National City is an easy target. Look, I know I'm still learning, but I can do this." Kara is hurt. James has supported her from the beginning, and she hadn't expected this doubt.

"Kara, he almost killed C-"

"I think I found him!" Winn blurts out excitedly. His chair squeaks as he turns around, his smile drooping when he notices the odd tension between her and James. "Oh, um."

"Where is he?" Kara asks as she takes a defiant step away from James.

Winn presses a few keys on his keyboard and makes a large map appear on his computer screen. "Here," he says as he taps at a small blinking dot.

Kara examines the surrounding area, familiarizing herself with street names and key geographical points. She's flown over the city enough times by now to have a good idea of where Reactron is hiding.

"Thanks again, Winn." She pats him on the shoulder before turning to face James. Her face is stony. "Tell Miss Grant I'm wrapping up a few things for the party."

"Kara-"

She shakes her head, lips pursed as she tries to contain her anger. "You've got to trust me, James."

He doesn't say anything else, but his expression speaks volumes.

Kara falters as she exits the office, her hand fumbling with her cell phone. Her first instinct is to call Alex and tell her where she's going and what she's planning to do.

She thinks of last night; Alex had looked so tired between Hank's reaming and the injuries she'd sustained. Kara puts the phone away. Alex is still healing, and the first thing she'll want to do is chase after Kara.

Kara would really prefer not to lose Alex to federal prison or worse, and maybe she needs to _really_ do this on her own. She can't explain why she feels so unsettled as she slips into her Supergirl costume, but she does her best to push the feeling away.

She can do this.

* * *

Alex gnaws on her bottom lip as she stares down at her phone, waiting impatiently for an all-clear from Vasquez. Technically she's still allowed in the DEO facility, she's just not supposed to be directly involved in anything DEO related.

' _He's gone,_ ' comes the text a moment later.

She breathes out a sigh of relief as she takes out her badge and goes through security. The agent working the gate is someone she knows well. He chuckles when he sees her status listed as 'suspended' but lets her through without hassle.

The familiar hallways are easily traversed despite the inadequate lighting, and Alex is pleased when she makes her way to the equipment room without being interrupted. She waves at the clerk that checks out specialized gear - which goes unnoticed as the woman continues playing Bejeweled.

Alex snickers and shows herself to the section she's interested in. She passes a shelf full of ordinary looking accessories: wallets, watches, purses, and the like. If she wasn't in a hurry she might try to accessorize, but she doesn't want to push her luck.

Her eyes light up when she finds the racks of evening wear. She passes over the suits and tuxedos and moves on to the dresses. The DEO has a modest collection of formal wear, and her eyes light up when she sees something that will not only fit Kara, but look _amazing_ on her.

The tag is tugged out, and Alex chuckles to herself when she sees the fabric is an advanced Kevlar polymer that can withstand high-grade munitions. "Bulletproof dress for a bulletproof woman," Alex says with a smile. "Perfect."

She stares at the dress, the emerald color reminding her of one that Kara had worn to her first homecoming dance. Her fingers trail over the fabric absentmindedly as she recalls that night. Kara had looked _so_ beautiful. Kara's date had certainly noticed; so much so that Alex had been forced to cut in on their dance to save Kara from the creep's wandering hands.

"Stupid Daniel Thompson," Alex mutters. She can still remember the idiot grin on his face when she'd said she was cutting in - and how his face had twisted into a scowl when she'd swept Kara away instead.

That night had been special. She shakes her head and looks back at the rest of the dresses, quickly grabbing a black sheathe she's worn before. Both dresses are deposited into a garment bag as she walks confidently to the front.

The clerk doesn't look away from her game as Alex fills out the requisite forms, instead only glancing down at the paperwork once Alex is finished. "Have them returned by tomorrow," the woman says blandly as she stamps the forms.

Alex hurries out before something can go wrong. She's nearly to the gate when she gets a frantic text from an unknown number.

' _Kara's hurt. Meet at her apartment. - J_ '

She has to force herself to take a steadying breath, glad that she'd slipped James her fake FBI card the previous night. Her mind runs over what could have happened, but she's not sure. She makes a quick decision and darts into the infirmary. No one's around this time of day, and it's easy for her to slip some of the portable sun lamps into her garment bag.

Security doesn't bat an eyelash at her as she leaves, and Alex breathes a sigh of relief when she finally makes it to her car.

By the time she reaches Kara's apartment, she's glad that she wasn't pulled over for all the traffic laws she's flagrantly broken in her haste.

"What happened? Where is she?" she asks the moment she's through the door. She deposits her key to Kara's apartment back into her pocket.

James is pacing in the living area, but he stops and gives Alex a relieved look.

"Reactron," he says worriedly.

Alex tries not to act surprised, but the breath suddenly leaves her lungs without warning. Why hadn't Kara called her? She pushes the thought aside when she sees a blue-clad arm hanging off of the side of the couch.

She ignores James and all of her own questions as she hurries over to Kara. There's dirt smudged on Kara's cheeks and costume, but she looks whole.

Alex hastily unloads the garment bags onto the coffee table to remove the portable sun lamps. They're not as effective as the high-powered station in the DEO infirmary, but they'll help.

James watches wordlessly as she carefully sets one up each at Kara's head and feet respectively. The third she holds, moving it steadily over the rest of Kara's body.

"How long has she been out?" Alex swallows because her voice sounds weird to her own ears.

"Maybe forty-five minutes," James says as he wrings his hands. "I told her not to go face him alone. I called Superman - that's how I got her here."

James's words answer a few of her questions, but more just rise. She doesn't bother asking them.

"This could take a while," she says instead. James doesn't move to leave the apartment. Alex has to suppress her irritation.

Kara keeps making incredibly poor choices when this man is involved, and Alex can't help but think he has something to do with Kara's current predicament. Kara should have called her.

* * *

An hour and a half later Alex's arms are shaking with effort, but all that's forgotten when Kara opens her eyes.

"Kara," she says as she exhales a relieved breath. She jerks back when Kara bolts up and looks around in a panic.

"Reactron?" Kara asks somewhat fearfully. Her eyes are wide and her chest is heaving with anxious breaths.

Alex deposits the sun lamp back to the coffee table to carefully cup Kara's shoulders. "Hey, hey. Calm down. You're safe. Reactron's gone."

Kara's panting slows until she's almost breathing normally. Her expression of fear melts into confusion.

Alex leans forward to pull her into a hug. "I'm glad you're okay." There's more she wants to say, more she wants to reprimand Kara about. She doesn't. Right now isn't the time - she's just glad Kara is relatively unharmed.

"Clark was there," Kara says in a near whisper as the hug ends.

Alex settles next to her and shifts uncomfortably.

"How did he _know_?" Kara puzzles out loud as she sends a look Alex's way.

Alex tries hard not to, but she shoots a glance at James.

Kara blinks and follows her gaze. Her eyes are unfocused as she turns to James - had Kara even realized he was here?

"You…? What, did you call him the moment I left CatCo?"

Alex winces at the accusatory quality to Kara's voice. She feels a flash of sympathy for James.

"Kara, look, he gave me this a while ago in case I'm ever in trouble," James fumbles with his watch, flipping the face open to reveal a secret device emblazoned with the coat-of-arms of the House of El.

" _You_ weren't in trouble," Kara says sharply.

Alex moves a steadying hand to rest on Kara's back, relieved when the gesture isn't immediately shaken away. She moves her fingers in a gentle circle, hoping to soothe away some of Kara's anger.

Kara's glare remains steady. James is struggling with something, and his mouth opens and closes a few times before he can speak.

"I promised your cousi-"

"It feels like you don't believe in me," Kara cuts him off. It's painful for Alex to listen to because Kara's voice wavers and cracks. Alex respects what James has tried to do, but she can't stand that he's hurt Kara.

"I-I do believe in you! I wouldn't be here if-"

"Maybe you shouldn't be here at all," Kara all but hisses out. Her voice is stronger in her anger.

Alex's hand squeezes against her back in support.

James stands, his lips pressed together and his nostrils flared as he struggles with his own temper. "I'm sorry I made you mad, but I'm not sorry you're okay!"

He storms away, the door slamming behind him as he leaves.

Kara turns to her the moment he's gone, ducking her head down as Alex obliges and pulls her into a full hug. It's quiet and Alex just absorbs the moment; Kara's upset, but she's alive.

"I was really scared when I got his text." Alex is careful not to say James's name, sure it'll only upset Kara further.

"I'm sorry," Kara says against the fabric of her shirt.

The words are muffled, but Alex can still understand them. Her heart clenches when she hears Kara sniffle. She licks her lips and lets out a sigh. "I think he was just trying to protect you," she says gently.

Kara pulls back from the hug, but leaves one arm loosely around Alex. " _He_ shouldn't be protecting me. _Clark_ shouldn't be protecting me. I was sent here to protect him - _them_! Instead Clark grew up without me and I've been fetching coffee for Miss Grant!"

Alex doesn't speak; it's clear Kara has more to say. She keeps her attention focused solely on Kara's face in a show of support.

Tears well in Kara's eyes. "Do you think this is what my parents wanted? No! I was supposed to protect _everyone_ and I can't even take down _one_ -"

Kara abruptly stops. Her mouth works but no sounds come out. Alex immediately pulls her back into a hug, stretching up to plant a tender kiss on Kara's forehead.

She lets Kara cry for a moment, running her fingers through the long, loose hair and making gentle noises in her throat. "Kara, I think they just wanted you to _live_. For whatever reason they couldn't join you-do you _really_ think all they wanted was for you to be a superhero? No. You were a scared little girl who was about to lose _everything_. They were just trying to give you something _else_ to focus on, something to strive for when maybe life seemed like a pretty terrible thing if it meant being without them. They would be _so_ proud of you…"

It's Alex that has to stop speaking now. She buries her face against Kara's hair and tries to get control of herself. Even without the cape, Kara is the most wonderful person Alex has ever met. As much as she loves Kara as Supergirl, it's Kara's light and inherent goodness that Alex has and always will be drawn to.

"You don't have to wear a cape for your parents' dreams for you to come true. You've been my hero from the moment you walked into my house and smiled at me." She forces a chuckle out to avoid crying - one of them doing that is enough. "And despite what you're feeling right now, you're more than doing that cape justice."

Kara pulls back again and offers her a watery smile. Alex feels a tear slip out despite her efforts to keep it in. Kara's smile widens.

"Alex," she says in wonder as she shakes her head. Her eyes settle on something over Alex's shoulder. "Crap, _Alex_! I was supposed to be at Cat's party, like, ten minutes ago!"

They both quickly stand and wipe at their faces.

"Oh, no, I don't even have anything to wear!" Kara exclaims as she begins pacing around her apartment.

Alex chuckles and picks up one of the garment bags. "Relax, I've got an awesome dress all picked out for you," she tugs open the zipper to the garment bag, " _and_ it's bulletproof."

"Ugh, Alex, you're the best!" Kara's relief is apparent, and she plants a quick kiss on Alex's cheek as she takes the garment bag. "Is the other one for you?"

Alex nibbles at the inside of her cheek as she considers something. "Yeah, but I think I'll be a little late in joining you. The dresses I can explain, but Hank will be mad if he sees the sun lamps are gone. You mind if your 'date' is a little late to the party?"

Kara laughs as she heads into her bedroom. "Not at all, I already owe you so much."

"Eh," Alex says with a shrug, "I'm going to hurry and try to take care of this."

She packs away the sun lamps quickly; she'll need to hustle if she wants to make it to Kara's party at all.

"See you soon!" Kara calls out as Alex exits the apartment.

"You got it," Alex calls back. She's nervous about returning to the DEO, but she knows she has to.

Fifteen minutes later, her sedan is parked in its usual place. If anyone at the DEO is surprised to see Alex again so soon, they don't comment.

Alex is relieved as she returns the last of the sun lamps back to their rightful place.

"Agent Danvers."

She stiffens and straightens at Director Henshaw's voice, knowing she's caught and there's nothing she can do about it.

Alex turns to face him, raising her chin defiantly as Hank glares sternly at her.

"Director Henshaw," she says stiffly.

* * *

Kara breathes a sigh of relief as Miss Grant walks away. She turns to Winn gratefully. "Thank you so much for that."

"Oh, ah, you know. It was nothing." Winn's hand rises to nervously rub at the side of his head.

"Not nothing," she disagrees with a smile, "I really appreciate it."

"W-well, how about a dance then?" he blurts out with wide eyes.

"What, you mean like now?" Kara hedges. She's just gotten to the party and hasn't had a chance to greet anyone - Cat had caught and begun to reprimand her before she could get anywhere.

Winn purses his lips and nods cautiously. "Yeah, I mean, James told me you were okay, but I was kind of worried."

"Okay." Her smile is forced because she's still upset with James, but Winn's concern is soothing. "Let's dance."

She's surprised that Winn is a decent dancer, and he makes her laugh a few times as they go around the room. The first song ends and Winn is finally reassured that she's really alright.

As they're about to leave the dance floor, James stops them.

"Kara, can I have this dance?"

Winn looks awkwardly between them. Kara gives him a small nod, and Winn gives James another look before walking away.

Though Kara doesn't want to say yes, she knows that James can be persistent. "Fine," she says.

She doesn't like that her heart accelerates just a bit when his hand settles around her waist, but it does. It makes her upset, and she can't look at him.

"Where's Lucy?" she asks after a few beats of uncomfortable dancing.

"Over there," James says with a head tilt.

Kara sees Lucy speaking with a large group of people, hands waving animatedly. To her surprise she sees Cat amongst them, and she's _smiling_.

"She starts work at CatCo on Monday," James adds.

Kara's stomach twists because though she's decided to get over whatever feelings she has for James, she's still _not_. But she should be because he's definitely off-limits. She doesn't understand how she can still be harboring this stupid crush when he not only has a girlfriend, but he's done something to make her so _angry_.

"Kara, about earlier-"

"Sorry, James, but I'm going to have to steal my date away," Alex's voice cuts in before he can continue.

Kara straightens and looks to the side, a large grin on her face when she catches sight of Alex.

Alex, who's in a clingy black dress with long sleeves and a sharp neckline that shows off some rather impressive cleavage.

"Alex," Kara says a little breathlessly. She's never been happier to see someone. The jumble of tangled acidic feelings she's been harboring while dancing with James is forgotten.

James looks unhappy, but he steps back. Alex quirks a brow at him and confidently takes Kara's hand in hers.

A happy sigh escapes Kara as she's wrapped comfortingly in Alex's arms.

"You looked like you needed a little rescue," Alex quips lowly.

Kara smiles at the warm breath brushing her ear. It reminds her of another time and another dance.

" _Daniel," she warns as she jerks the large hand away from her butt for what seems like the tenth time._

_The tall boy grins at her, his pearly white teeth making her think of a used car salesman she's seen on TV._

" _Relax," he says in a way that only irritates her further. She hadn't even wanted to come to this dance, but after…_

_She swallows. Alex had said everything was okay, but she's noticed how Alex has pulled away. It's been weeks. The casual touches she's gotten used to are nearly nonexistent. It's made Kara wonder if there's something wrong with her for wanting_ more _with Alex._

_Daniel's hand slides down._

_Kara is torn between the urge to cry and wanting to punch him._

" _Hey," Alex says breezily, "mind if I cut in?" Her eyes are hard even though she's smiling. Kara knows that if Alex wasn't still on thin ice for the last time she'd been forced to come to Kara's defense, Daniel would probably have received a knee to a very sensitive area._

_Daniel steps back, blinking in surprise. Alex looks incredible in a dark halter top dress; he doesn't look at her face once as he grins. "Not at all, gorgeous."_

_Both he and Kara are surprised when Alex slides up to Kara with a wink and a smile._

_Daniel sputters angrily and scowls, walking away when Alex smoothly guides Kara away from him._

_Alex's hand is warm against her back, and Kara sighs and leans down to rest her head on a strong shoulder. "Thanks," she says thickly._

_She's missed being this close to Alex. Kara's gotten taller than her, but they still fit together just_ right _. The way their chests and legs brush together make Kara feel something she knows she shouldn't, but she can't stop it. She loves Alex._

" _You're my little sister," Alex says with a gentle shrug._

_Kara squeezes her eyes shut tighter in an effort to keep them from stinging. She pushes her face closer to Alex's neck and breathes in deeply. She wants to remember this moment; the way Alex's hair tickles against her face and how their hands are tangled together. The music doesn't matter as they sway slowly and gracefully together in their own little peaceful bubble._

_She loves Alex, but it's time to let these feelings go._

Alex stops moving and steps back. Kara realizes the song has ended.

"Hey, you okay?" Alex asks with a furrowed brow and a small frown.

Kara's throat works a few times as she tries to form words. She's embarrassed that her eyes are watery and her lips tremble when she tries to smile.

"What did James say to you?" Alex's face is fierce, and Kara knows she has to fix this somehow before Alex goes off half-cocked and ready to fight.

She shakes her head as her tongue darts out to moisten her lips. "He didn'-"

There's a loud crash as something blasts through the tall windows, and a moment later Reactron is standing in the large new opening.

Kara's jaw hardens, and she passes a look over to a stony-faced Alex. They share a nod.

"Be careful," Kara warns as she reaches up to let her hair down.

"Where is Supergirl?" Reactron demands in a near-growl. He looks around as people stare, firing a warning shot at a large poster of Supergirl.

Alex smiles grimly and shrugs. "Ever wonder how good bulletproof dresses are at absorbing energy blasts?"

Kara sends her a wide eyed glare, displeased with the sorry attempt at a joke.

"Don't worry," Alex says as she slips something into her ear and tugs her dress up to retrieve her gun. "I'll just distract him for a bit, try and get him away from all these civilians."

As Kara hurries away to finish changing, she can hear Alex in the background.

"Hey tin head, remember me? I shot you in the face last time I saw you."

"Alex," Kara grumbles under her breath as she hurries out of a side hallway most people are ignoring.

Now that she's ducked out of sight of the party and all its attendees, getting changed only takes a matter of moments. She fumbles with the earpiece that she's begun to associate as another part of the costume, but manages to get it in place into her ear.

" _-agree the core is the greatest point of vulnerability._ "

Kara blinks in surprise because she could swear that voice belongs to Director Henshaw.

The next voice she knows; it's breathless and distracted, but definitely Alex. " _If we remove it from its casing,_ " the words stop suddenly as Alex grunts and pants, " _the core will melt down and then they can rename this place Nuclear City._ "

There's a loud crash that Kara can hear from where she is, and she's jolted into action. She darts back out into the party in search of Alex and Reactron - but they're nowhere in sight.

"Alex, where are you?" she asks over the comm even as she uses her superior vision to try locating Alex.

" _Kara_ -"

A burst of gunfire makes Kara jerk her head. Alex is outside the building and across the street. Kara's boots are off the floor a scant second later.

She can see them off in the distance; Alex barefoot and leading Reactron on a merry chase through a construction site spattered with large slabs of concrete and metal. Debris rains down as he fires off random shots at Alex.

" _Kara, we need some lead,_ " Alex says hurriedly.

" _Excellent, Agent Danvers. Kara, listen carefully,_ " Director Henshaw chimes in, " _in order to stop Reactron, you need to remove the plutonium core from his chest. In order to do_ that _without causing a nuclear reaction, it needs to be encased in l-_ "

"Lead," Kara finishes. Her heart is pounding in her chest because she's so close to Alex and Reactron, but she knows she needs to stop him for good. Her eyes scan her surroundings and she zooms toward a small statue atop a wide fencepost that her vision can't penetrate.

"I'm coming, Alex," she says as her heat vision makes short work of the statue. Hand encased in lead, she zooms straight for Reactron.

Her timing is fortuitous as Alex has just run out of ground, but the triumphant Reactron doesn't see Kara coming.

She plows into him at full speed, punching him once across the face while he's still dazed. His mask flies off and Kara wastes no time in plunging her hand into his chest plate and ripping the core out.

Reactron still hasn't moved, and Kara's chest heaves for a few moments as her adrenaline wanes. Debris clatters as Alex shuffles her way over.

"You need to get that into something more secure," Alex warns as she keeps her gun trained on the fallen Reactron. "Take care of that, I'll watch him."

Kara wants to argue, but then she remembers that she's holding a mass of plutonium that could have disastrous consequences for the city. She forces herself not to look at Alex as she leaves, knowing that one look would make her forget everything but ensuring Alex's safety.

She finds the partially melted statue and makes a quick shell for the plutonium, flying off to the DEO to leave the core with an exasperated Hank before hurrying back to Alex.

Alex has scarcely moved from her position guarding the fallen Reactron by the time Kara returns. Kara makes quick work of stripping the large man of his armor.

Kara leans back in surprise as Alex steps forward with a pair of handcuffs.

"Where did you get those?"

Alex huffs as she secures Reactron. "Do you really wanna know?"

Kara's mouth opens to speak, her cheeks growing warm as she considers the options. 'Yes' is probably not the answer Alex expects. "No?"

As Alex finishes and straightens, she sends Kara an odd look before bursting into laughter. Kara frowns when she sees Alex wince and hold her side.

"You tore out your stitches, didn't you?" Kara says as she moves to support Alex.

Alex looks irritated. "Maybe." She sighs and leans her head on Kara's shoulder. "I think dancing is gonna be out of the question for a while."

Kara frowns and looks down, gasping when she sees the blood spattering Alex's feet.

"Alex!" she says angrily before leaning down and picking Alex up - who yelps in surprise at the sudden movement.

"Kara, put me down," Alex says in a forcefully patient voice. One of her arms is settled up around Kara's neck, the other is tapping out a warning against Kara's collarbone.

Kara sucks in her bottom lip, suddenly aware of what they must look like - she's seen images of Lois and Clark just like this in James's private collection. Her heart is thumping, but she swallows.

"Don't be a jerk," she says in an unsteady voice, "I got scared when I couldn't find you."

Alex, whose mouth has opened to no doubt deliver a fresh protest, stops moving. Her face becomes solemn. "Well, now you know how I felt today when I got that text."

Kara's eyes sting and she can't look directly at Alex.

"Ugh, don't do that-dammit." Alex stops speaking, and Kara is pulled down and into an awkward hug.

Kara is relieved to feel the brush of Alex's short hair against her face, and she sighs as she absorbs the comfort. "I like your perfume," she mumbles distractedly.

Alex chuckles, and the hug ends. They share a warm look.

"You know, Kara; if our 'dates' always end like this, I just might have to break up with you."

Kara pokes out her tongue petulantly, causing Alex to erupt into more laughter.

Someone coughs, and Kara's head jerks in surprise.

"Sorry to interrupt, but the cops are probably gonna be here soon," James says awkwardly as he gestures behind him with a thumb.

"Yeah, _Supergirl_ , let me take care of Agent Danvers there for you," Lucy says as she steps around James and makes a beeline for Kara and Alex, "since you should probably be off saving the _city_ or something."

Kara is confused by the glare she's receiving, but she does set Alex carefully down on her feet.

"Um, well," Kara stutters out as she glances at Alex.

Alex is biting her lip and shaking her head. Lucy makes a chiding noise in her throat when she spots Alex's feet.

"You can go now, Supergirl," Lucy insists without looking back up at Kara.

"O-kay?" Kara looks at Alex and receives another subtle nod.

It isn't until fifteen minutes later when Kara is back under the guise of her mild alter ego and watching Alex being loaded into an ambulance (with no small amount of protest on Alex's part) that Lucy clues in her in on her irritation.

"Alex was _so_ brave," Lucy says from beside Kara.

"Yeah," Kara says with a mix of fear and pride, "she scared the heck out of me though."

"It always drives me crazy when James does something like that, but I guess it's worse because of Alex's line of work. At least I know James is safely behind a desk most of these days." Lucy reaches out and squeezes Kara's arm gently.

"Alex has always kind of been my hero, so I'm not surprised she chose this line of work. It just takes some getting used to, seeing it first hand." Kara reaches up and adjusts her glasses. She's telling the truth. As much as she respects Alex and her abilities, a part of her will always worry. She imagines Alex feels the same way.

"Alex is a real hero, not like that _Supergirl_."

Kara turns in surprise and catches sight of the sour look on Lucy's face. "You don't like Supergirl?"

Lucy heaves out a sigh before looking around. "I think she was flirting with Alex," Lucy says in a low voice.

A strangled sound comes out of Kara's throat. She clears it roughly. "Are you sure?"

"I could be wrong. But anyway, do you need a ride to the hospital, sweetie?" Lucy's face full of concern.

"That's nice of you, but I'll just take Alex's car." Kara is still trying to recover from the rapid subject change.

"Do me a favor and just shoot James a text when you're both home safely?"

Kara can't refuse when Lucy is being so nice - even if she doesn't like Supergirl - and supportive. "Sure."

She shakes her head as Lucy finally walks away, dazed and wondering how she and Alex must have looked to James and Lucy.

Her gaze wanders for a moment, and she catches sight of Cat looking through the crowd. Kara is quick to duck away. Though she would normally subject herself to Cat's demands most times of the day for the sake of her job, Alex is headed for the hospital.

Alex will be going crazy there, and Kara fully intends to bribe her with food in hopes that Alex will let herself be thoroughly checked out. Kara nibbles at her lower lip, calculating various flight times and Alex's level of irritation. Some authentic pad Thai should help, she decides.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Alex sits up on her couch with a groan. Her suspension had been lifted the day after she'd helped Kara bring down Reactron, but her duties have been restricted as her body heals.

She's lucky, really.

_Hank stares at her as she limps in. His face is a mask of professionalism, and Alex feels a hint of nerves coming on._

" _Agent Danvers," he says evenly, "it's apparent that suspension isn't much to deter you from a path that will certainly lead either to federal prison or your demise."_

_She's confused for a moment, but then she remembers that Hank's silent allowance of the portable sun lamp use had been strictly kept off-book._

" _Director Henshaw-"_

_Hank raises a hand and sends her a stern look. "It's clear to me that Supergirl is too much of an influence on you. That's why I've decided the DEO will assist with non-alien occurrences so long as they still technically fall under the category of 'extranormal' - much like Reactron did."_

_Alex is stunned. In her short time at the DEO she's only known Hank Henshaw as someone excessively diligent in his adherence to the rules. She knows better than to protest. "Yes, sir."_

_Hank nods at her, and Alex can swear he smiles at her for just a second before he's angled away from her completely._

" _That being said, you're not allowed into the field until you_ fully _heal."_

_She doesn't voice any dissent; where Kara's involved she'll do whatever she needs to do._

" _I mean it, Agent Danvers. Don't push your luck."_

_Her heart thuds, because it's almost as if Hank can read her thoughts. "Yes, sir," she repeats._

Alex stretches with a groan, examining the small digital clock on her entertainment center. She could pop into the DEO for a bit and do some lab work, but that's all she's been doing for the last few days.

Another idea comes to mind when she considers how close to lunch time it is.

Her call is picked up scarcely a second after the first ring.

"Kara, hey-"

" _I can't really talk much right now_ ," Kara says in a low whisper, " _Miss Grant's been on the warpath all morning._ "

Alex frowns, displeased that her plans have been foiled before she can even mention them. "She knows that you _are_ supposed to get a lunch break, right?"

There's a pause and Alex can clearly hear the sound of Kara's boss raving in the background.

" _Lunch, yes! That's a great idea. If I put in an order at Noonan's would you mind picking it up and bringing it here?_ "

Alex reaches up and rubs at her forehead with one hand. "Why do I have a feeling the simple lunch between the two of us has become me picking up lunch for your entire office?"

Kara giggles nervously. " _Well, not the entire office._ "

"Does this mean you've changed your mind about letting me sedate your boss? I've got access to some powerful, untraceable stuff."

There's another pause that make Alex's eyebrows slowly rise. She's smirking by the time Kara speaks.

" _No, no. Don't tempt me_ ," Kara mutters. She takes a deep breath that Alex can hear over the line. " _Will you just, please, do this for me?_ "

Alex silently debates with herself, wondering why Kara just doesn't send one of the many unpaid interns CatCo has scurrying around. It hits her that maybe Kara's in need of a friendly face that isn't connected to CatCo. "Alright," she says.

" _Ugh, you're the bes-_ " Kara's words are cut off by a loud voice calling out for 'Kiera' in the background. " _I've got to go. I'll see you soon._ "

Before Alex can respond, the call ends. She sighs and looks around at her apartment before getting up and grabbing some fresh clothes that aren't wrinkled by her nap on the couch.

It's only as she's parking her car that she realizes that she's taking lunch to Kara at work - where Lucy and James _also_ work. She sits for just a minute and wonders what kind of performance she'll have to put on. She thinks of her previous two 'dates' with Kara.

A problem becomes apparent when she thinks of those dates-that-are-not-dates; she can't think of a moment where she had to _really_ act besides James's initial confrontation with her about her and Kara's shared last name.

She wriggles her shoulders. Such thoughts are unwelcome.

Alex likes how things are now, and there's no use letting her mind wander down potentially dangerous paths.

The bell over the door jingles as she enters Noonan's, and she really hopes Kara remembered to call the order in on time or it'll be a quite a while before anyone eats. Lunch time at Noonan's smells really good even if the place is too crowded, and so she grabs a menu as she takes up a position near the main entrance.

She tugs her phone out after only a quick glance.

'What name is your order under?' she types out.

Her phone buzzes only a few moments later.

' _Danvers. I ordered your favorite._ '

Alex's eyes narrows suspiciously as she types out a response.'By that you mean two of your favorites that you'll make me split with you?'

' _Busy. TTYS._ '

"I knew it," Alex mumbles. Despite her grumpy tone, she's smiling. The menu is put back where she found it, and she wanders up to the bar to ask about the order.

The harried man behind the bar holds up his hand and returns with several large white bags and a full cup holder containing four drinks.

Alex supposes she should be glad there's not more drinks. The man waves off payment so Alex leaves a generous tip; she'd worked at a pub during college and knows what it's like.

She makes it to her car with no small amount of fuss, and she sighs as she finally deposits the bags in the front passenger seat. If there wasn't so much to carry she'd just leave her car here, but there's no way she's walking the three blocks to CatCo with the sidewalks crawling with people on their lunch hour.

The CatCo building has visitor parking, and Alex is lucky enough to snag the last one that's reasonably close. She looks up at the tall edifice; it's never seemed quite so intimidating before.

"You're fine. Things are fine. You're just bringing your-Kara lunch." Alex's stomach twists like it had during her first assignments for the DEO though she's uncertain why she feels this way.

She forces herself to calm and enters the building. It's just lunch.

* * *

Kara waits for the clicking of Miss Grant's heels to fade into the general noise of the busy office. A quick peek confirms that Cat is, in fact, back at her desk.

She breathes a sigh of relief and shares a look of commiseration with Winn.

"What is with her recently?" he asks sotto voce .

Kara shifts uncomfortably in her seat and presses her lips together as she looks away. "I think she's still mad that I disappeared from her party the other night."

Winn looks incredulous. "Reactron trashed the party!"

She grimaces as she recalls the first angry tirade.

" _I know I might seem utterly heartless Kiera, but you can't disappear like that without a word when there's a maniac on the loose - tell anyone I said that and you're fired."_

"Ah, heh, well...you know Miss Grant." Kara forces a smile on her face.

Winn stares at her as if she's grown another head. If she were another kind of alien perhaps that might be an option, but since she _isn't_ Kara can only guess that her smile looks weird.

The elevator dings and then Alex is walking casually through the office. Kara's weird smile changes into a real one, and then she's standing and helping Alex with the bags of food.

"So how much of this is actually for other people," Alex asks as she puts her hands on her hips and tilts her head. To other people she might sound upset, but Kara can see her lips are just slightly upturned.

"Most of it," Kara says haughtily. "Let me just…"

"Oh, it's about time. Kiera, is that my lunch?"

Kara can tell by how Alex's eyes narrow and her nostrils flare that Miss Grant is probably getting up from her desk. She quickly picks out Cat's meal and turns to meet her halfway.

"Here you go, Miss Grant." The bag is tugged from Kara's hands impatiently, and Miss Grant peeks inside.

"That'll be all, Kiera. Oh, wait," Miss Grant's return to her office abruptly halts as she turns back to look sternly at Kara. "Finish making those calls before you eat. They're important."

There's a sharp inhale behind Kara, and she's aware that Alex is a second away from telling Cat off.

Another voice cuts in before Alex can even begin.

"Miss Grant, how many times do I have to tell you that according to California Labor and Employment Law, employees that work more than six hours are required to take a meal break in which they cannot be compelled to work before their fifth hour of employment ends? Kara needs to start her lunch break in the next five minutes if you want to avoid a violation." Lucy sends Kara a quick wink before Miss Grant acknowledges her with an aggrieved sigh.

Miss Grant is frowning at Lucy. "Why did I hire you as my general counsel again?"

"Because I'm the best," Lucy says without missing a beat. "Now go eat your lunch and let Kara do the same."

"Fine," Cat drawls out, "let Perry stew in his own juices. Maybe he'll throw another chair at an intern and get sued." Miss Grant visibly brightens and returns to her office.

The tension in Kara's shoulders ease - Alex would have probably ended up handcuffing and/or sedating Miss Grant if Lucy hadn't intervened.

"Thanks, Lucy," Kara says with a smile.

"No problem." Lucy focuses on Alex with a smile. "Hey! So you're the one she conned into bringing us lunch."

Alex bobs her head. "Yep, at least I feel better now knowing who I was bringing it for."

Winn clears his throat before Lucy can speak again. "Guys, we're all happy everyone's here, but can we go to the break room now and eat?"

He's staring at the pale paper bags ravenously. Kara takes pity on him and nods. "Sure."

"Let me just go and grab James," Lucy agrees before quickly departing.

"Lunch with the whole gang, huh," Alex says so low that only super hearing could possibly pick it up.

Kara grins and collects the food, not surprised when Alex scoops up the cups and trails alongside her. "You could have warned me," Alex says.

"About what?" Kara shoots Alex an innocent look as they step into the break room.

Alex chuckles and shakes her head, her short hair trailing over her jaw in a distracting way. "You know...that this lunch date was actually going to be a _lunch date_."

Winn, who Kara has completely forgotten about, stops poking at the takeout bags long enough to look between Kara and Alex.

"Lunch date?" he says in a squeaky voice. His eyes are moving rapidly between them now. "You told me you _weren't_ gay."

Kara's mouth opens and closes a couple of times before she frowns at him. "Bisexuality _is_ a thing, Winn."

Winn flushes and looks away, one of his hands reaching up to fiddle with his bowtie. "Right, yes, that is a thing. Yep."

"If it makes you feel any better, I _am_ gay," Alex adds.

Winn flushes a deeper red and promptly takes a seat. "I"d like to eat now," he says with wide, imploring eyes.

"Good call." Alex is unabashedly smirking at Winn.

Alex looks so mischievous that Kara has to bite her lip. Winn _is_ her friend, but she's never been able to resist Alex in her more adventurous moods.

She selects a bag and hands it to Winn, who accepts it gratefully without looking up. Kara shakes her head as her barely suppressed smile slips out.

_Be nice_ , she mouths to Alex.

Alex shrugs, her smirk transforming into a crooked smile. They stare fondly at each other for a few moments before taking their own seats.

When Lucy and James walk in they've already managed to split the remaining food up. Winn lifts his travel mug up when Alex mentions there aren't enough drinks. Kara is amused when Alex automatically deposits the chocolate and strawberry milkshakes somewhere between them, with the tea and remaining vanilla milkshake pushed to the still empty spots on the opposite side of the table.

"I'm _so_ hungry." Lucy has one hand clasped dramatically over her stomach as she and James approach the table.

"Your food is still warm," Kara says as she points toward the last unclaimed seats.

James's stomach audibly growls as they sit, and he sends Kara a sheepish smile. "Thanks."

Kara nods and focuses on her food. She and James haven't really spoken since the night of Miss Grant's party, and she still has mixed feelings about him.

It doesn't help that the party has also served to remind her of _other_ things she's better off forgetting about - like how warm Alex's leg feels pressed half against hers under the table.

She glances at Alex from under her lashes and is entranced by a granule of salt that's stuck to Alex's lower lip.

As if feeling her gaze, Alex's tongue darts out to swipe at the lingering salt. Kara flushes and looks away, her hand absentmindedly reaching out to steal a fry from Alex's plate.

"I knew it," Alex says.

Kara freezes, her heart pumping fiercely in her chest.

"You ordered this for me just so you could steal my fries."

Her lungs, which had suddenly refused to function, take in a great surprised gust of air. She swallows and laughs nervously. "You caught me."

Across the table James chuckles. Kara looks up to find Lucy grinning smugly as she sips at her milkshake.

Lucy quirks an eyebrow at her, sending a pointed glance Alex's way before wiggling both eyebrows. Kara suddenly wishes invisibility was one of her superpowers.

* * *

Alex is surprised nearly half an hour later when Lucy looks down at her watch and makes a face.

"We need to get back to work. Our forty-five minutes are up."

Everyone but Alex scrambles to clean up the detritus of their lunch, but Alex holds up a hand. "I'm not in a hurry, you guys go ahead. I'll clean up."

"That's really nice of you," James says as he stands. He grins at her.

Alex decides that maybe he's not bad. Her eyes travel around the table full of pleased people. Kara's friends aren't bad at all. Even Winn had been funny in a self deprecating way - enough so that Alex had given him a pass for his awkward comments to Kara.

"You've got a keeper," Lucy declares as she sends Kara a wink.

Kara flushes and fidgets with her glasses. "Yeah, I know."

She doesn't look at Alex, but Alex is watching her discreetly.

Alex gently clears her throat and stands, sliding her hands into her back pockets and rocking on her heels. "It was nice having lunch with you guys."

"We should do it again some time," James says as he rinses his hands.

"Maybe." Kara still won't look at Alex.

The group bids each other goodbye, and Alex is left standing alone in the break room. Her mind is occupied as she considers the lunch. She doesn't really have friends outside of the DEO - at least not ones that aren't also part of other secret organizations - and she has to say she really doesn't mind hanging out with Kara and her friends. She might even go as to far to say she likes it.

Her mind works as she begins neatening up the break room. It doesn't take long for ideas to start coalescing, and she has to pause in her clean up. She has a sudden realization; a part of her just might like everyone thinking of her as Kara's girlfriend a little too much.

The floor seems to fall out from under her for a moment, and it's then that Kara wanders back in.

"Hey, sorry, I forgot my pho…" Kara frowns and adjusts her glasses, giving Alex a careful once over. "Are you okay?"

Alex blinks and looks around, spotting Kara's phone and moving clumsily over to it. By the time she reaches Kara she's regained some of her equilibrium. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Kara's face is wrinkled in concern, though she accepts the phone. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Although," she drops her hand and glances away, "maybe we should talk about how long we're going to keep this up?"

"Uh, um, keep what up?" Kara blinks rapidly and shifts from foot to foot.

Alex takes a deep breath before meeting Kara's eyes. "I-"

"Kiera! Where are you? Your lunch break is over!" Miss Grant's distinctive voice can be heard clearly from where they're standing in the open doorway.

Relief washes over Kara's face. "Sorry," she says quickly, "we can talk later."

Alex's jaw works as she watches Kara go, wondering what's going on in Kara's head...or her own, for that matter.

She hurriedly finishes her clean up, intent on going to the DEO. The bio-gel she's been receiving to hurry along her recovery has worked wonders on her feet, and she's ready to do _something_ other than sitting at home or in the lab.

She moistens her lips as she regards her phone, pulling up a particular contact and furiously typing out a message.'Spar in twenty?'

The screen of her phone dims before she receives an answer. She taps at the screen impatiently until she receives a reply.

' _Director Henshaw will kill me._ '

Alex grins down at her phone, knowing just what to say to get her way. ' _It's not like you ever do much besides end up on your ass, anyway._ '

She doesn't have to wait nearly as long for the reply as she did for the first message.

' _Spar in twenty._ '

The relief she feels is immense; she's always processed things better if she has something to hit. Vasquez will do.

She's almost cheerful as she walks out of the CatCo building and heads to her car.

* * *

Kara smiles to herself as she leaves work. With Lucy around, she's been keeping more reasonable hours. She doubts this will last, but she intends to enjoy it while she can.

It's nearly 6:30, and she's considering dinner options as she idly strolls toward Noonan's. She doesn't intend to eat there - she eats there enough during the week - but she does like the privacy one of the alleys affords.

Her immediate thought is to ask Alex.

Her step falters slightly. Talking to Alex seems dangerous right now, and there's a roiling inside her when she considers doing so. She swallows reflexively, wishing this feeling would go away. She hasn't felt this way since high school - these feelings shouldn't _exist_.

Kara knows what Alex wanted to talk about earlier, but she's not ready. She's not sure if she ever will be. As much as these old feelings are confusing her, she _loves_ the dates-that-aren't-dates she's shared with Alex. They're not much different than any other nights they share, less the fact that other people are present and thinking they're a couple.

She inhales sharply and stops for a moment, staring up at the lumbering apartment building on her left. Alex lives in a building not too dissimilar from this one; old, with faded red bricks and what Alex would dryly label 'character' in a way that Kara would understand to mean 'in urgent need of repair'.

Her smile is sad, and she considers that maybe what Alex probably wants is best. They can't continue pretending to be each other's significant other forever - no matter how natural it feels.

She reaches up to adjust the bag strap on her shoulder as her stomach twists. Things will only get worse the longer things go on, and obviously the way people see them is affecting her own thoughts too much.

It's not like she'll be losing anything. She knows that no matter what, she and Alex will always be a team. Other people might come and go along the way, but they'll always have each other. This short stint of insanity on Kara's part will eventually be forgotten, just like the last time.

As Kara confirms that no one is paying her any attention, she finds a dark enough area to change into her Supergirl costume. Alex will surely be at the DEO facility - her commitment hasn't faded even if her irritability at not being allowed in the field has steadily risen.

The flight to the DEO serves to clear Kara's mind further, and she's at peace with her decision - that is, until she finds Alex.

Alex isn't in the lab or at her terminal. A quick question posed to Hank had garnered clenched teeth and an index finger pointed forcefully off to the side.

Kara is certain his irritation is her fault until she realizes that the direction he's indicated leads straight to the training room. As far as Kara is aware, Alex hasn't been cleared by the DEO medic for physical activity.

She's worked herself up pretty well by the time she gets to the training room, but she can only stop and stare when she reaches the door.

Alex is stripped down to a thin tank top and her snug workout pants - and so is Vasquez, just opposite her on the mat. They're grinning at each other, and it's apparent in the way they move that this isn't their first time on the mat together.

As Kara watches, Alex sweeps forward and swings a few times. Vasquez barely manages to dodge the strikes. Both opponents are lightly perspiring, with hair and clothes sticking ever more the longer they remain making quick attempts at each other.

Vasquez sidesteps and surprises Alex, and Kara frowns when they begin grappling in _very_ close quarters.

Alex had never showed Kara these moves reminiscent of the odd wrestling matches she vaguely remembers from a distressed high school gym. At least she thinks so; she isn't aware of many fighting forms that require Vasquez to be nearly _glued_ to Alex's back.

She grits her teeth when Vasquez's hand lands on a sensitive area and remains there - Kara can just see her smirk through narrowed eyes. It's too much for Kara.

"Last time I checked you were still restricted to desk duty," she declares in a loud voice.

It's Vasquez who jumps back in surprise at the sound, stumbling and nearly sending herself sprawling out on the mat.

Alex straightens with a sigh and an eye roll, not bothering to look behind her where Vasquez is anxiously gathering her discarded shirt and bag.

"I'm technically restricted from going out in the field," Alex corrects patiently. She huffs out an impatient breath when a sweaty Vasquez brushes past her, their eyes meeting briefly.

That look worries Kara in a way she doesn't want to admit out loud. She waits until Vasquez is long out of hearing range before addressing Alex.

"I just worry about you."

The belligerent tilt to Alex's chin is gone, and her expression softens. "I know. I promise you, I'm feeling fine. Vasquez and I were keeping things pretty light, but I needed some time on the mat to clear my head."

"You and Vasquez do this a lot?" Kara asks before she can stop herself. She's grateful that she at least sounds curious rather than jealous.

Alex shrugs and leans over to pick up her discarded shirt and small duffle. "Not really _a lot_ , but we do it often enough that we can read each other pretty well." Alex pauses and her lips twitch. "Well, I can read Vasquez. She's not bad, but it's easy to tell she's not a field agent."

"Seemed like she managed to surprise you earlier." Kara nibbles at the inside of her cheek as she recalls Vasquez had tugged Alex into what - to Kara - looked like a snug embrace.

The sourness of the memory fades when Alex laughs softly. "That was Vasquez getting tired and trying to annoy me with her sweat. She's like a two year old."

Kara swallows and sucks on her lower lip, not looking at Alex as they begin walking out of the training room. "Maybe she likes you?"

Their next several steps are made in silence. Kara is fascinated by the craggy interior of the DEO walls and ceiling.

"Nah," Alex finally says, "we tried something a while ago and realized we're much better friends than anything else."

For a moment it feels like Kara can't breathe. Her lungs suddenly remember how to function, and she forces out a chuckle. "I didn't know you two," she stops speaking and makes awkward gestures with her hands.

Alex's hand lands on her arm, and they stop walking. Kara's throat works when she finally looks at Alex.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

And Kara can't take it, that gentle look she's seen so many times over the years. She smiles, but she knows that her eyes are moister than they should be. She inhales and exhales in a relaxing technique Eliza had shown her when she was a teenager.

"Alex, I know you wanted to talk about, you know, us pretending to date earlier. I just-"

"Ladies," Hank's brusque voice cuts in. Both Kara and Alex's attention jerk to find him standing at the mouth of the hallway that leads to the main area of the DEO.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to finish your conversation later. There's something I need to discuss with the both of you." His jaw works, and Kara can hear his back teeth grinding together unpleasantly.

She frowns and darts a look over at Alex. Their eyes meet, and she can see that Alex is worried too.

"What is it, sir?" Alex asks first.

Hank looks around and then angles his head backward. "Not here. Let's go to my office."

Kara is surprised. Alex has told her Hank _hates_ his office, only using the space when he's forced to entertain some bureaucrat once in a blue moon when the government _does_ choose to remember that the DEO exists.

Alex reaches out and squeezes her hand before they turn to follow Hank.

* * *

"They want her to do _what_?" Alex knows that if her commanding officer were anyone but Hank Henshaw, she's probably be in trouble for using this tone of voice.

He gives her a warning look, patiently waiting for Alex to relax her aggressive stance.

"Can they make me do that?" Kara asks, obviously confused and still worried.

Hank sighs, and it's clear to both Kara and Alex that this isn't something he wants either. "I've already explained to them that Supergirl doesn't _technically_ work for the DEO. Our teamwork is at will and nonbinding, but they've thrown a lot of legal mumbo jumbo our way."

"When do they want her to fight their - sorry, what was the term used?" Alex closes her eyes and rubs her forehead, wondering why some governmental entities just _have_ to butt their heads in at the most inopportune times.

Hank reaches behind him to pick up a thick sheaf of papers, flipping through and stopping on a certain page. "I'm quoting here; _an anthropomorphic pseudo entity with combat capabilities created as a means to handle anti-insurgents_." He looks up. "And to answer your first question, they wanted her to do it this Friday, but I told them that the paperwork required for this situation would ensure a two-week delay at minimum."

"They want her to fight a robot in two weeks," Alex says flatly.

"Why would they ask me to do something like that when I could be out helping people?" Kara asks. Alex easily reads the confusion in her face and voice, but she can detect just a hint of hurt underneath.

It's the latter that makes Alex step closer to Kara and bring a hand up to rest on her lower back. "You don't have to do this."

Hank stands from his position leaning against his desk and crosses his arms. "This is an executive order from the president, but if you don't want to do this I've got your back."

Alex sends him a startled look. She knows he has a soft spot for _her_ , but he's made his distaste for Kara known on several occasions. Her lips twitch and she has to force herself not to smile.

Kara has been working with the DEO for nearly a month now, and it's apparent that Hank is no match for what Alex has come to affectionately deem 'the Kara effect'.

He narrows his eyes at her suddenly, and Alex swallows. She really hates the eerie moments when it's like he can read her mind.

Kara releases a shaky breath, and her smile is like the sun peeking out through the clouds after a storm. "That's okay. I'll do it. If I say no they might find some way to turn it into a bad thing. I've had enough of that."

Hank's hands drop to rest on his hips, his chest puffing out a little in what Alex might even consider pride. The corner of his mouth tilts up into an almost smile, and he looks pleased. "I think you're right. Still, if you change your mind all you have to do is say the word."

"I knew you liked me," Kara says brightly.

Hank glowers, but his expression cracks a moment later. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Miss Danvers."

"It's okay, you can call me Supergirl. Your secret is out." Kara is almost bouncing in place with her happiness.

"Don't push your luck," Director Henshaw says with a straight face.

Alex takes that as her cue, and she reaches out to tug Kara out of Hank's office by her wrist.

On the one hand Alex is happy that Hank has finally warmed up to Kara, but on the other she's still concerned about the fight that's supposed to happen in two weeks.

Two weeks.

Something niggles at her brain. She begins evaluating her mental calendar.

Two weeks…

"Oh my god," she says with wide eyes as she stops suddenly.

Kara's head jerks at her in surprise. "What?" Kara asks with equally wide eyes.

"Thanksgiving is in two weeks." There's a sick feeling in the pit of Alex's stomach when she considers a voicemail she'd just listened to this morning. "Kara, my mom's coming for _Thanksgiving_ in two weeks."

"Well, that doesn't sound bad. I mean, it's just a test. Nothing's going to happen. We'll be fine." Kara still looks like she isn't sure what Alex is freaking out about, but her voice is soothing.

Or, it would be if Alex wasn't totally freaking out.

"No Kara, no. We will not be fine. _I_ will not be fine. You've come out as Supergirl, you're working with the DEO. You're going to find some secret government robot. _She's going to kill me_."

Alex is pacing now, her hands moving restlessly up to alternately comb through her hair and wave around emphatically.

"Alex, I'll talk to her okay? Hey," Kara's voice is even softer as she reaches out and pulls Alex to a stop. "Look at me."

Her hands travel up Alex's arms, rubbing affectionately and helping Alex gather the courage she needs to look up.

There's a barest hint of a smile on Kara's face.

"She can't be mad at you; you've basically devoted your entire life to protecting me. It's pretty much literally what your job is."

The way Kara is looking at her makes Alex feel...she doesn't want to think about it. "She doesn't know that Kara."

"Well maybe you should tell her, Alex." Kara's gaze is steady.

There's a thousand things that can and will go wrong, but when Kara looks at her like this Alex has trouble remembering them. The warm weight of Kara's hands against her bare arms, lightly chilled from the cool air, make it difficult for Alex to think of much of anything at all besides how there always seems to be a universe of possibility in Kara's eyes.

Alex moistens her lips. "My job isn't protecting you." Not her official one, anyway.

Kara isn't fooled, her nose crinkling as she smiles. "Technically no, but that _is_ what you do."

It's then that Alex realizes that maybe they're standing a little too close together; she can see a single strand of hair stuck to Kara's upper lip that flutters lightly with each exhale.

She clears her throat and steps backward, trying to convince herself that she doesn't miss the feel of Kara's hands on her arms. "I think you wanted to talk about something earlier," she says.

Alex is hoping that maybe, finally, Kara is ready to put an end to this charade. Dating - really, it's a ridiculous idea. That's why her heart is beating so fast.

Kara looks unsure for a moment, but she slowly nods.

"Yeah, I did." She leans backward and fiddles with her cape. "Actually, do you mind if we just go to my apartment?"

"Alright, but I've got to shower first." Alex considers if she has extra clothes in her DEO locker.

"Just shower at my place," Kara says with an eye roll.

Alex hesitates. She's showered over at Kara's plenty - in fact she knows she still has two drawers full of clean clothes there - but things have felt different between them recently. She hasn't been staying overnight nearly as much either.

Kara is looking at her with such hope that she buckles. "Fine, but since you're going to be home _way_ before me, I demand sustenance."

"Pizza?" Kara asks as she takes a step backward and half-turns away.

"Throw in some ice cream and we've got a d-deal." Alex is internally cursing herself for her near slip, but Kara doesn't seem to notice.

"Done. See you soon."

Kara zooms away at inhuman speed; Alex wonders if it's excitement about the pizza or worry about the conversation that has Kara moving so quickly.

Alex isn't sure how she feels about it either.

* * *

Kara is gulping in lungfuls of air as she flies, trying to steady herself as she prepares herself for her impending conversation with Alex.

She's not a confused teenager any more, and she has a few romantic experiences under her belt. Enough so that she understands that what she's feeling for Alex is _rare_ and special and unique and - though her crush for James had felt serious enough to her in the beginning - _so_ much more than the infant stages of her infatuation with James.

Her mind is in overdrive as she considers everything she knows about Alex. She could be crazy, but she could swear that Alex feels this too. Either way Kara is tired of trying to find someone else to feel this way about. If she and Alex never so much as kiss, she'll still be happy.

Alex just makes everything _better_ , and if that means that Alex will never be comfortable as being anything more than her sister, Kara can handle that.

On Krypton no one would blink an eye at their wish to bond in marriage, even knowing that it was only their minds and hearts that met on a deeper level.

She has to shake herself to get a grip. She hasn't even spoken to Alex yet, there's no time to be daydreaming about Alex dressed as a Kryptonian and observing their bonding rituals.

Kara hurries home and puts in an order for the pizza, digging through her freezer to see if she still has ice cream. She's managed to triumphantly dig out two of her favorites by the time she hears Alex's key in the lock.

"Hey," she says a little breathlessly when she sees Alex standing in snug jeans and her favorite leather jacket.

"Hey," Alex says back as she shifts from foot to foot.

There's an awkwardness between them that Kara isn't used to, a tension that has tingles spreading through her body because now she _does_ know.

Alex feels something too, Kara just isn't sure _what_.

"Why don't you go ahead and shower? The pizza should be here soon." Kara knows her voice is too high, but Alex takes the question at face value.

"Good idea," Alex says as she tugs off her jacket and flings it over the arm of the couch.

"Mhm," Kara agrees as Alex wanders off in the direction of the shower. She hadn't bothered pulling her shirt back over her tank top, and Kara is almost guilty with how much time she's taken to appreciate the definition in her exposed arms.

Her face is hot, so she absentmindedly brings both pints of ice cream to rest on her cheeks. They serve as an immediate relief.

"Hey Kara, did you get me a new loo-" Alex abruptly stops and stares at Kara's face sandwiched between the two containers. "Actually, I'll just leave you three alone."

Kara puts the ice cream down and sticks her entire head into the freezer once she's sure Alex is gone.

"I'm going to die," she says as she stares at a bag of frozen peas.

The cold air does little to cool her flaming red cheeks.


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

Kara is nervous as she waits for Alex to finish up in the shower, nearly double paying for the pizza after forgetting that she'd paid online already.

She hurries to set up the living room the way they usually prefer on pizza nights - though she's uncharacteristically nervous about sharing a blanket with Alex. The ice cream is back in the freezer until they're ready for it, but she hopes Alex finishes soon.

Channels flicker by as she skims through them. She's not looking for anything in particular, but she's too nervous to sit still.

It's with some relief that she realizes Alex is out of the shower and ambling out of Kara's bedroom.

Kara tries to suppress a smile when she sees that Alex has taken back the Powerpuff Girl pajama pants Kara had stolen from a sleepover at Alex's apartment nearly a month ago. Her smile can't be contained when she notices the grey v-neck Alex is wearing is actually hers.

"You know you've got like five clean t-shirts here," Kara says as Alex approaches.

"Yours are bigger and more comfortable," Alex quips as she drops down to the couch.

Kara pretends to be offended when Alex bumps their shoulders together in a pseudo-attempt to push her over on the couch.

"Scoot over," Alex grumbles, "you're hogging the middle."

"I was here first." Kara pokes out her tongue to accompany her equally mature words.

Alex's eyes narrow. "You know, per our agreement I get the best slices of pizza."

"You wouldn't!" Kara says in disbelief. It's one thing to joke around, but food is no joke.

"Try me." Alex's threatening glare is steady.

Kara sulks and scoots over, but she's secretly pleased. The old argument has always served to have them cuddled together in the middle of the couch. It had started when they were teenagers wanting the best seat for TV time; now Kara just enjoys the routine and comfort that their close proximity brings.

It's enough that she almost forgets what she wants to talk to Alex about tonight. Almost.

"Here," Alex says as she hands Kara a small plate with a large slice of gooey pepperoni pizza on it.

Kara glances quickly at the open box to confirm that she's received the cheesiest slice. Alex catches the look and just smiles and rolls her eyes.

Something rises up in Kara's chest. She takes a hurried bite in an effort to distract herself from how much she wants to kiss Alex.

She chews quietly and watches Alex from under her lashes, eyes sweeping from the damp tips of hair to the glimpses of the smooth skin of Alex's neck and jaw.

"You know what you want to watch?" Alex asks between bites of her own slice of pizza.

Kara hesitates. They're supposed to talk. She takes a large bite of her crust to buy herself time. Their sides are pressed together, and she begins to remember how very difficult these feelings had been before.

Before.

When she'd eventually ended up kissing Alex, Alex had been kind - but had put a noticeable distance between the two of them for several months. Kara doesn't want that to happen again.

"You can pick," she says briskly.

Alex's head turns slowly. She looks surprised.

Kara takes another large bite of her pizza.

"Okay," the a is drawn out dramatically, "in that case I see Waterworld is about to start."

"Sure, yeah," Kara says quickly.

Alex's eyebrows rise. "You want to watch Waterworld," she says flatly.

Kara clears her throat. "Yeah, sure. It's, um, about time I broaden my horizons, you know?"

"Whatever you say, Kara." Alex is clearly amused, but isn't complaining. Kara generally lacks the patience to make it through a Kevin Costner movie.

She winces as she remembers his version of Robin Hood. Robin Hood: Men in Tights had been way more entertaining - at least Cary Elwes seemed to fit the quintessential role better.

Kara almost regrets her quick agreement as the movie starts, but it's too late to change her mind now. She gets up to retrieve the ice cream twenty minutes into the movie, and Alex barely notices her go.

The movie isn't that bad, but Kara's too distracted by her internal debate to become really engrossed.

They've made it to hour two when Kara suddenly decides she needs to have this talk with Alex _now_. She turns to speak to Alex, only to find Alex asleep and slumped halfway between the couch back and her shoulder. The sparring match with Vasquez after the enforced rest time had obviously taxed Alex's stamina more than she'd wanted to admit.

Kara sighs and turns the TV off. Alex's face is soft and open in sleep, and Kara is overwhelmed with the urge to comb back the hair that's tickling at the right side of Alex's face. Alex's skin is always so soft…

She inhales sharply and shakes her head. A quick peek reveals the time is pushing ever closer to eleven, and she needs sleep if she's going to get to work on time. She'd figured Alex would spend the night, but not quite like this.

Alex looks so peaceful that Kara doesn't want to wake her. She considers her options, debating any fallout should Alex suddenly wake.

The decision is easy, and she carefully and slowly picks Alex up and cradles her close to her chest. She floats to her bedroom, not wanting to disturb Alex's sleep with the rocking motion of walking.

Alex hardly stirs as she's deposited to her usual side of the bed. Kara is inordinately happy to see her immediately curl up; it's been too long since Alex has stayed over.

Kara quietly gets ready for bed, sighing happily when she finally slides under the covers.

In Kara's absence Alex has curled up on her side facing inward, providing Kara with an easy assurance that Alex is blissfully resting.

Kara inches forward just a little; enough that she can feel the gentle wafts of Alex's exhales just barely touching her cheeks.

Though there's a lot Kara has to worry about - like whether it's a good idea or not after all to tell Alex how she feels - sleep comes easily.

* * *

Alex stretches and groans as she begins to wake, perfectly comfortable for the first time in weeks. She peeks an eye open and confirms that she's at Kara's. The last thing she remembers from the previous night is a grand fight scene; she doesn't have to think hard to figure out how she ended up in bed.

She smiles, still drowsy but content as she quickly locates the notable lump that is Kara bundled up in a blanket. They always have their own comforter because Kara is a dreadful blanket hog.

The comforter is bunched up as Kara tightly embraces it - as if it were a cuddly teddy bear rather than a thick blanket. Alex finds the sight unbearably adorable. She scoots closer, just a little.

Kara's wavy hair is spread out, a few of the curled tips resting haphazardly in the space between their bodies. The sight is too tempting, and Alex reaches out to idly play with the soft ends.

She's missed this, missed waking up next to Kara. There's a peace with Kara when it's just the two of them alone like this. For a few moments she can forget the DEO and the rest of the world, and it's just like when they were teenagers huddled up together in their room.

After her dad had died, her mom had never gotten around to having his upstairs study remodeled like they'd originally planned. Kara had never asked about it, either. It had been unspoken between all three of them that there was nothing wrong with holding onto the tiny piece left of Jeremiah.

Though having Kara with her nearly constantly at first had been somewhat annoying, Alex had been grateful when they'd continued sharing a room after her dad had died.

She'd taken comfort in Kara's low snores and quiet night movements. On more difficult nights Kara would slip in front of her and pull her arm to rest across Kara's hip - not unlike the nights when it was Kara that needed recovery from a nightmare. Kara had always understood it was easier for her to pretend like she was helping Kara rather than being helped.

It's another thing Alex has always loved about Kara.

"Morning," she says softly when Kara's blue eyes flutter open.

Kara blinks slowly, a smile growing on her face when she focuses on Alex. "Morning," she echoes back.

Kara seems more alert suddenly, turning and wriggling her body until her back is pressed to Alex's front.

Alex doesn't struggle when Kara reaches back for her arm, instead burying her face against the tickle of Kara's hair. "We haven't done this in a while," she whispers.

Kara shivers and Alex leans up on her elbow with a frown, adjusting the covers until Kara is completely covered.

"Thanks," Kara chokes out.

Alex, who is adjusting herself back around Kara, frowns again. "Are you thirsty?"

"Yeah, but it can wait," Kara replies as she tugs at Alex's hand until it's back resting over her side.

"Is everything okay?" Alex asks before she's curled around Kara again.

Kara inhales slowly. "I think so? Can you just hold me for a little bit while I figure out how I want to say this?"

The worry that's flickered in Alex grows, but she does as Kara asks. "Sure."

"Alex, I've really missed this. I don't want to lose this."

Guilt licks at Alex's insides; she's stayed away for seemingly silly reasons. If her feelings have been leaving her a little confused that's one thing, but she hasn't considered how much Kara truly enjoys their time together. "You won't."

Kara's head shakes, and she lets out a wry laugh. "You haven't heard everything yet. I-I'm scared that when you do, we won't be able to spend time together like this any more."

"That won't happen," Alex says seriously.

"You don't know that," Kara says as she clutches at Alex's hand a little too tightly.

Alex lips purse. Nothing she's saying seems to help. "Just tell me," she says in her kindest voice.

The room is quiet, and Alex is sure that Kara has chickened out.

"I love you."

Alex waits, wondering what horrible thing Kara has yet to reveal.

"Say something," Kara says in a slightly panicked voice.

"What, that's it?" Alex blurts out. "I thought you were going to tell me something really horrible."

She slumps forward in relief, cuddling as close to Kara as she can. "I love you too."

Kara blows out an impatient breath and pushes back against her. Alex moves to accommodate Kara as she turns to lie flat on her back.

"No, Alex. I _love_ you."

It's the look on Kara's face that finally makes the words sink in exactly the way she intends; Alex clearly remembers this look from the moments before Kara had first kissed her.

"Oh," is all she manages to say as her throat works.

Kara looks pained, but not surprised. She smiles sadly up at Alex. "Yeah."

Alex suddenly feels uncomfortable leaning over Kara, but she's afraid to move and upset Kara further. It dawns on her why Kara feels they won't be able to be close like this again; as a teenager Alex had been unable to cope with their close proximity knowing how Kara had felt.

"I...I thought you had feelings for James?" she asks awkwardly.

Kara rolls back onto her side and wraps her arms tightly around herself. Alex has clench her hands against the bedsheets in the effort it takes not to scoot forward and comfort her.

"I did, but these last couple of weeks of getting to pretend that you and I are _more_ than sisters has been," Kara stops speaking a moment and rubs her hands up and down her arms, " _incredible_ \- and scary. It's worse than when we were in school, Alex. I can't help how I feel, how I've felt. I know it's not something you want or like, but-"

And Alex can't stand not comforting Kara any more. "Stop," she says as she curls back around Kara. Her mind is trying to sort through too much at once; she's overwhelmed. She does know that she can't bear to hear Kara so distressed.

Kara remains stiff, but relaxes when Alex's embrace doesn't falter. "Kara, I'm sorry for how I treated you in high school. I-I should have handled things better. You know I love you," she pauses and falters when Kara takes a shuddering breath, "I just…"

"It's okay," Kara says in a rough voice when Alex's words fail.

Alex growls, frustrated at her inability to sort through her own feelings _now_ when Kara needs to know most. She leans forward and nudges her face until it's resting against the exposed skin of Kara's neck. She takes a deep breath and makes a decision to do one of the few things she'd sworn to never do.

"Kara, do you remember how much I loved soccer in high school?"

"What?"

Alex smiles at Kara's confusion, easily able to imagine her face. "Just humor me."

Kara sighs nearly inaudibly. "Okay, yeah."

"Did you ever wonder why I never bothered to play in any clubs after that?" she asks as her nervousness grows.

"I just figured you were too busy."

Alex moistens her lips. "I _was_ busy, but it wasn't that. Soccer is fun, but I loved the way you looked when you watched me play more than anything."

She can feel the sudden stillness in Kara, the gentle pushing against her arm gone as Kara stops breathing for a few heartbeats.

Kara is flat on her back again, her frown deep as she tries to decipher what Alex is saying.

Alex knows it's time to get a few last things off of her chest. She takes in a shaky breath. "Kara, when you kissed me? I...I felt something too."

She doesn't get the reaction she expects, Kara's eyes welling as tears slip from her eyes. "W-why didn't you…?"

"Kara, I'm sorry. I was so confused; mom would pull me aside all the time and tell me all the things I was doing wrong with you - with my sister - and I…" Alex has to stop speaking, unable to look Kara in the eye. She's still confused, still unsure if she feels the way about Kara that Kara obviously feels about her.

The air is heavy between them, and Alex feels a need to continue the longer Kara remains silent. She can't understand that, out of all the people Kara has met, it's _her_ that Kara has chosen. "I've been happy as your sister. I'm still one of the people closest to you, and that's all that's ever mattered to me, but now, well. Kara, I think it's a good idea if we stop pretending we're dating."

Kara looks hurt. "Alex-"

"I think that maybe, for a little while, we could try dating for real just to see if it works," Alex finishes hurriedly.

The tension between them makes Alex perspire; Kara's face is frozen in shock as she stares up at Alex. Alex's stomach twists when she considers that maybe she's misjudged the situation.

"We don't have to-"

Kara lurches upward and Alex knows she's about to be kissed - her eyes shut reflexively, only to open again a moment later when the contact doesn't come.

She can feel Kara's chest heaving against her own, and Alex wonders if her morning breath has somehow ruined the moment. It's not like she'd expected to have _this_ conversation first thing in the morning.

She nibbles at the inside of her cheek and tries not to stare at Kara's quivering lips. It takes her a moment to realize that Kara has said something.

"I-is this okay?" Kara repeats in a hesitant voice.

Alex leans in to close the minute distance between them before she even realizes it.

Kara's lips are as pliant as she remembers, and she can't think as instinct takes over and they kiss again and again. She succumbs to temptation and sucks Kara's lower lip into her mouth, feeling electrified when Kara moans.

She's breathing heavily when she pulls back, not sure how she's come to rest firmly on top of Kara with their legs entwined. Kara shifts restlessly and Alex is distracted when her thigh accidentally presses downward to fit snugly against the heat of Kara's arousal.

"Oh," she gasps out before she's pulled into another kiss.

Alex is dizzy with all the feelings that rush out as they writhe and kiss as if the world is about to end. There's so much she hasn't allowed herself to feel for so long, that she isn't sure if she knows how to get control of any of it.

As Kara arches upward and moans again, Alex knows that she needs to. She pulls away stubbornly and rolls over so she's on her back and staring up at the ceiling.

"That was too fast, wasn't it?" Kara asks breathily.

Alex clutches at the blanket to refrain from rolling right back over to kiss Kara and more. "Yeah," she pants out. Her senses are on hyper alert, her body twitching with restless energy.

"We should have been doing _that_ since high school."

Though part of Alex agrees with Kara, she knows that everything that's happened has lead them to right where they are. She likes where they are.

A hand brushes against her own, and all at once she's settled again. She interlaces her fingers with Kara's and sighs in contentment. Their 'break up' has gone better than she thought.

Her thumb lightly caresses the back of Kara's hand as they both try to process the sudden change in their relationship.

"What time is it?" Kara asks after a few minutes.

Alex is tempted to tease Kara for being too lazy to turn her head and check, but she's enjoying their quiet intimacy too much. The moment is ruined when she catches sight of the time and winces.

"Almost eight," she admits.

"Crap!" Kara says as she jolts upwards and begins scurrying around the room in an attempt to get ready.

Alex laughs and gets up, shaking her head and exiting the room so she can fix Kara something quick to eat - there won't be time for sweet buns this morning. Alex can manage some toast and eggs.

When Kara comes to collect the modest breakfast and blurts out a casual "ugh, I love you," Alex just smiles and presses a kiss to a suddenly blushing cheek. Not much has changed.

Kara turns and kisses her softly until Alex quietly reminds her that she'll be late to work if she doesn't hurry. Kara is again a whirlwind of activity as she gathers her things, only pausing when she's reached the front door to send Alex a wistful look.

"See you after work?" she asks in a tone bordering between hope and disbelief.

"Yeah, sure," Alex affirms with a smile.

Kara's grin is bright, and it isn't until she's been gone for a minute that Alex's smile fades.

_Oh god_ , she thinks as reality begins to set in, _Kara and I kissed._

She's torn between grinning like an idiot and asking Hank if he has an assignment available in Antarctica for her. It's difficult feeling so elated and terrified all at once, she decides.

Antarctica is too cold anyway.

* * *

Kara is almost to work when the activities of her morning actually seep into reality. She turns down an uncrowded side street just to jump up and down and giggle, not caring at the few people giving her the stink eye for daring to be so cheerful so early in the morning.

She nearly forgets to pick up Miss Grant's latte, but luckily Viola is outside adjusting the sign displaying the breakfast and lunch specials for the day.

The detour costs her a little more time, but a quick scan of the CatCo building shows that Miss Grant isn't at work yet either. She texts Alex while she waits, grinning and wondering if the morning really had happened the way she remembers it.

'I'll probably be off of work by 6:30. What do you want to do today?'

To her dismay an answer doesn't come before Miss Grant's latte is ready, and she has to hustle to make it up to her floor on time.

The positive side to her tardiness is that she doesn't have to reheat Miss Grant's latte. Her phone buzzes in her pocket nearly fifteen minutes later, and she has to try really hard to pay attention to her boss' litany of objectives for the day.

She bobs her head, careful not to smile too much as she's finally able to duck away to her desk. Dutifully she takes care of the urgent emails and calls first, but she's distracted by the phone weighing down the pocket of her cardigan.

She's relieved when she can finally pause to take her phone out and check her messages. Her hand rises to cover her mouth as she tries not to giggle out loud, biting her lower lip after a moment and smiling at the message.

' _Well it is our first_ real _date - what about the traditional dinner and a movie? If you play your cards right I might even let you hold my hand._ '

Kara is about to type up a response when she's interrupted.

"Kiera! Did you pick up those proofs for the next edition? They better have gotten the coloring right this time!"

The phone is deposited back into her pocket with a sigh, and she promises to get to the message as soon as she can.

Unfortunately as soon as she can is lunch. She's managed to hang onto her good mood by threads - even though Miss Grant had made some rather cutting remarks about her skirt - mostly thanks to the memory of Alex and their morning.

It's someone else's turn to pick up lunch, but the break room for the floor is empty. Most employees choose to take the hour break off-site, but Kara almost never feels comfortable doing so. She doesn't want to chance returning late.

Re-reading Alex's message has much of the same effect as it did the first time, and she's grinning when she taps out a response.

She's blushing furiously as she examines the words, debating if she should really send it.

"Kara," a voice calls out cheerfully.

Kara is so startled that her thumb lightly brushes the screen of her smartphone, and then the text is gone. She stares down at the 'message sent' alert in horror, wishing that she'd gotten around to changing the sensitivity.

"Wow, your face is _so_ red, are you alright?" Lucy asks as she steps into the break room

"Yeah." Her voice comes out sounding like a squeak so she clears her throat. "I-I'm fine."

Lucy examines her carefully.

Kara tries not to squirm under the attention, but fiddles with her glasses out of habit.

"Something happened with Alex," Lucy guesses, bouncing up and down when Kara's eyes widen.

"Um, what? No, why would you think that - haha, no. No. Nothing...nothing happened." Kara knows her rising voice doesn't help her case, but _how the hell does Lucy know?_

Lucy claps once and bounces forward to sit next to Kara. "You only ever look like that when I catch you making googly eyes at Alex. Now come on, James went with Winn to pick up the food so we've got a few minutes for girl talk. Tell me."

Kara hesitates for only the briefest moments, her elation rising when she realizes that she _likes_ Lucy and she _can_ talk to Lucy about Alex. She doesn't have many female friends, and she'd feel awkward gushing to Winn or James about how she's feeling.

She sucks in her lower lip as she considers what she wants to say. There's benefits to having someone that sort of knows about her relationship with Alex.

"Well we've been kind of taking things slow because of the sister thing," she starts nervously but warms when Lucy's face remains open and interested, "but this morning she kissed me for the first time. It was...incredible."

Lucy leans back slightly and gives her a cursory once over, one eyebrow raised. "I'll bet. Phew, is it warm in here or what?" She raises a hand to playfully wave in front of her face in a pseudo attempt to cool off.

Kara laughs, unfettered by any thoughts other than how happy she is. "I-I do feel pretty warm."

Her phone buzzes and heartbeat accelerates. She freezes and the message she typed out is burned into her memory:

'Since you're the one that kinda had me pinned down on my own bed this morning, I'm pretty sure you won't be able to resist giving me a goodnight kiss.'

"Oh, you're red again. Tsk tsk, Kara. We're at work." Lucy lightly slaps at her arm and winks.

Kara forces out a laugh and rubs at her flaming cheeks. "Um, right, yeah."

She's anxious that Lucy is watching her, but her curiosity is too much. She tugs out her phone and grins stupidly as soon as she sees Alex's response.

' _Touché. I am pretty bad at resisting you. Dammit, I forgot you already know most of my secrets._ '

She forgets that Lucy's in the room as she rapidly types. 'Don't you mean all of your secrets?'

Her phone vibrates before she can put it down. ' _A girl's gotta have_ some _mystery._ '

Kara has bites her lower lip as she responds. 'I've got ways of making you talk.'

James and Winn are loud when they step into the break room, and Kara hurriedly puts her phone away.

She sends a wide-eyed look to Lucy, who only smirks knowingly and accepts a kiss from James.

As James and Winn busy themselves with separating their order, Lucy leans over to say something.

"You two are _adorable_. We've got to hang out again some time. Maybe we can just do a game night or something; I'd love to get to know the both of you better."

Though Kara is still embarrassed that she forgot Lucy was present to witness her texting session with Alex, she smiles. Lucy is becoming a good friend, and Kara is glad for the thousandth time that the last of her crush on James has faded.

"I'd like that. Maybe next Friday or Saturday?"

Lucy's smile widens, making her eyes crinkle. "Sounds great. I'll talk to James."

The lunch hour passes quickly. Though Kara enjoys the time with her friends, she's glad when they clear the room. She holds her breath in anticipation of reading Alex's text.

' _I'm looking forward to that._ '

As Kara clutches her phone to her chest and sighs, she's glad that no one's around to see her admittedly dorky reaction. Although Lucy's teasing isn't bad, she's glad to have a private moment to just lose herself in daydreams.

She shakes herself and tucks her phone back into her pocket. Daydreams are great, but the sooner she finishes with work the sooner she's back to the reality of getting to be with Alex - and that's already proving to be _so_ much better.

* * *

By the time the promised game night rolls around, Alex and Kara have been out on four real dates.

Four incredible, damn-near-perfect dates.

That's counting nearly being set on fire when Kara had accidentally stumbled and pushed her a little too close to the open flame of a hibachi grill. There's something to be said for great reflexes, and Kara had been adorable trying to slip in apologies long after Alex had told her to forget about it.

She'd only stopped when Alex had threatened to kiss her every time she began apologizing.

Alex had been secretly hoping Kara would continue trying to verbally make amends. Kara had only blushed and muttered something about not wanting to get arrested for getting carried away in public.

Four incredible, damn-near-perfect dates that prove to Alex that she feels _exactly_ the way Kara does.

She's still nervous about tonight, even as the elevator dings and Kara exits the elevator to lead the way to James's apartment. Though a lot has happened since Kara's first lone trek here, Alex still feels funny as they wait for the door to be opened.

Not so long ago Kara had felt so strongly for James that she'd been willing to go way out of her comfort zone to ask him out. If it weren't for Lucy, Kara would probably be with James now.

It's a thought that Alex would have been okay with before, she thinks. Before, when she'd pushed away any feeling for Kara that might have been anything other than _sisterly_. Her stomach twists uncomfortably when the apartment door opens to reveal a grinning James.

"Hey, glad you could both make it!" he says as he invites them in.

"Us too!" Kara replies brightly.

Alex doesn't like the acid that rises in the back of her throat at Kara's enthusiasm. She puts a fake smile on her face when James glances her way. "You heard her," she quips.

She has to remind herself that she _does_ like James again now when his hand settles in the middle of Kara's back to guide her further into the apartment.

She wonders petulantly if they'd even notice if she just turned and left right now.

Kara only takes a few steps before she turns and sends a questioning look back in Alex's direction.

The bile churning in Alex's stomach immediately settles, replaced with elation when Kara smiles and reaches out a hand. She feels foolish for her recent thoughts, wondering why she even let the tiniest bit of doubt disturb their night.

Kara's hand fits perfectly in hers, just like it has since they were kids.

"I hope you guys know what you're in for," James says as he guides them to one of the couches in the living room.

"What do you mean?" Alex asks. The couch is large and comfortable, but Kara still scoots close to her as they wait for James to respond.

He looks around the room in a cartoonish manner and leans forward. "Lucy is _crazy_ competitive."

"I heard that!" comes Lucy's voice from the kitchen.

Both Kara and Alex laugh at his nonplussed reaction.

'Uh oh,' he mouths dramatically.

"I heard that too!"

Just when Alex is wondering if the world is full of psychics, she looks up and sees that Lucy is standing in the open door of the kitchen with her arms crossed. She's got an eyebrow arched in James's direction, a playful tilt to her lips revealing her amusement.

"Don't mind him, he's just intimidated by the Lane drive," Lucy says as she straightens and draws closer to the couch.

"You've got that right." James nods in emphatic agreement.

Lucy responds by patting his shoulder. "Did you offer our guests something to drink?"

"Oh, uh, nope." He sends Kara and Alex a questioning look, rubbing his hands together gleefully. "We've got a little bit of everything - Lucy likes to be prepared. Anything I can get you?"

Alex is tempted to test his proclamation, but she drove tonight. "I'll have some ginger ale."

"Just water for me," Kara says.

James nods and hurries to the kitchen. Lucy sits across from Alex and Kara on the opposite couch.

"So, you gals like to keep a clear head on game night? That's good news. I love a challenge."

By the look on Lucy's face, Alex thinks that James really wasn't being hyperbolic when he was referring to Lucy's competitive nature. Alex is generally pretty relaxed outside of work, but the spark in Lucy's eyes proves to inspire her own interest in the impending game.

She leans forward and meets Lucy's gaze. "So what are we playing?"

Lucy's head tilts, and she smiles slowly. "Taboo."

Alex tries not to smirk. Kara's public interactions had been limited for her first few years on Earth, so she and Alex had spent a lot of time playing various board games. Taboo is one of Alex's favorites, especially when she has Kara as a partner.

Though Alex's poker face is flawless, Kara bounces up and down in her excitement.

"Oh man, Alex _loves_ Taboo!" Kara exclaims.

Lucy's eyes narrow just slightly, not looking away from the silent staring contest she and Alex have begun. "Oh, she does, does she?"

Alex shrugs and leans back, one arm rising to settle behind Kara's shoulders on the couch. "It's kinda fun."

Though she's trying to be casual, it's clear Lucy is on alert now. Maybe game night won't be so bad after all.

Alex grins as she looks at the card. "Mr. Higgins, ninth grade."

"Slug!" _Sluggins_ , Kara thinks to herself.

"Saturday mornings!" Alex says with a grin.

For Kara Saturday mornings always mean..."Pancakes!"

"Once we climbed-"

"TIME," Lucy interrupts as loudly as she can without shouting. She holds up the tiny hourglass, a deep frown on her face.

Alex grins and shrugs, dropping the card with the next word nonchalantly. Her act only lasts as long as it takes her to reach the couch, where Kara laughingly accepts a double high five.

Though Kara can be very competitive, seeing Alex enjoying herself has been its own reward. She feels warm as Alex's arm settles around her shoulders, and she can't resist pressing a quick kiss to Alex's cheek.

Across from them Lucy is sulking with her arms crossed. James is quietly counting up the points, but Kara is pretty sure she knows she and Alex have already won.

Though James and Lucy have been formidable opponents, James had blanked for a few precious moments during his last turn as the word-giver. Kara isn't certain Lucy will be forgiving him any time soon.

"This is so not fair; you two have known each other longer," Lucy grumbles.

"That is true," Alex concedes graciously, "but this was a pretty good game."

Kara nods her agreement. This is the closest she and Alex have ever come to losing, and that's saying something. She just hopes that Lucy doesn't refuse to play with them after tonight like most people do after getting trounced.

"We'll have to have a rematch some time." Lucy's chin rises, even as James sends her an alarmed look.

"Sure," Alex says.

Kara bites the inside of her cheek to contain her grin. Maybe she can talk Alex into taking it easier on Lucy next time.

"Well, I'm just going to go refill the pretzels," James says as he stands and flees to the kitchen.

Lucy heaves a dramatic sigh. "For a guy that's charged into so many dangerous situations, sometimes James can be a real wimp."

And Kara tries really hard not to laugh - James is very nice - but Lucy's face is comically displeased and Kara really can't help herself. Beside her, Alex chuckles along.

Their amusement makes Lucy relax, and she sighs once more before grinning and slumping back into her seat. Her elbow rests on the couch back, her head leaning against her loose fist. "You two are just too cute, you know that?"

Kara's face heats up when she glances down and sees that Alex's free hand is tangled with hers. She's gotten so used to the casual contact that she doesn't think about it any more. Alex has always been tactile, but they've gotten worse with each other since agreeing to try the dating thing for real.

Well, worse isn't the right word. Kara loves every single moment.

They end up staying and chatting with Lucy and James for a while after the game ends, and like other nights, Kara is too happy for words as their night comes to a close.

"See you Monday," she says with a small wave as she and Alex step outside of the apartment.

"Not too early," Lucy warns with a wink.

Kara laughs and smiles at James before she and Alex make their way to the elevator. She pushes the button, and isn't surprised when Alex takes her hand while they wait.

"That was nice," Kara says as the elevator doors open.

"I had a pretty good time," Alex agrees, "and we weren't interrupted by some super-disaster this time. It was a miracle."

She presses the button for the ground level, and Kara watches as the numbers ding by slowly. Alex isn't wrong, and Kara can't help but wonder if it's some sort of cosmic sign that the universe approves of this relationship.

"Hey, Alex?" she says as their floor comes closer.

"Hm?" Alex turns right into the kiss, and Kara sighs happily as the contact is tenderly returned.

The elevator door dings a warning, and then several steps later they're out of the building and in the cool night air. It's a Saturday, so National City is still wide awake at barely ten at night.

"Ice cream?" Kara asks quietly. It's understood that the offer is just that - ice cream, with maybe a little cuddling.

Despite all the kissing, they've been taking things slow. It's been good for them; she and Alex have been talking like they were when they were teenagers just staring up at a wide expanse of sky and letting their minds wander. Kara has never felt closer to Alex before.

"Yeah, sure." Though Alex's words are an agreement, there's something in the way she says the words that makes Kara worry.

Kara waits until they're at Alex's car. Though flying _is_ faster, driving has its own charm for their date nights. The cab of the sedan insulates them from the sounds of the city at night as they settle into their seats. Kara flicks the overhead light on before Alex can start the car.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Alex's smile is lopsided. "Kara, the last week and a half has been amazing, but you know things are going to change soon, right?"

The overhead light casts odd shadows across Alex's face, and Kara tries to swallow her concern. "What do you mean?"

She watches as Alex fidgets with the steering wheel. Alex leans back and then looks at her again. "My mom is coming in a few days, and you have to fight that robot. I...I've got a bad feeling, you know?"

At once Kara is glad for their changing relationship; before Alex had kept most of her worries to herself, but things are different now. Though she still undoubtedly keeps a few things from Kara, Alex is getting better at not locking her feelings away.

"Hey, if there's one thing that I've learned from you, it's that you and I are better as a team. As long as we work together, I'm sure we can handle anything." Kara reaches out to lightly rub Alex's knee as she speaks, hoping to calm the little nervous jiggle she can just barely detect.

"Yeah," Alex's brittle smile softens, "I'm sure you're right."

It isn't until they're almost to Kara's apartment that she suddenly remembers something important. "Um, Alex? About Thanksgiving, I might have invited Winn to join us for dinner…"

"Kara," Alex groans. She doesn't say anything else, but her knuckles are white as she grips the steering wheel.

"He didn't have anyone else," Kara quickly explains, "and I'll talk to him about Eliza not knowing about you and I yet. I couldn't just let him eat alone."

Alex's grip loosens after a few seconds, and then she's laughing sardonically and shaking her head. "I can't even be mad because that's one of the reasons I love you."

Kara's breath catches as she looks over at Alex. She's seen that look a thousand times and heard the words a thousand times more, but now everything holds an entirely different meaning. "Sorry," she says softly before she kisses Alex.

When Alex starts the car some time later, Kara is delicately tracing her own tingling lips and wondering if these feelings will ever fade. Considering the last ten years of her life, she doesn't think so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had intended to get this out sooner, but RL things...
> 
> Only one more chapter to go after this, but don't expect it to be boring. :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get this out yesterday, but it didn't happen. I think a day late isn't so bad. :)

* * *

Alex's palms are sweaty as she grips the steering wheel. If things had gone according to plan, she wouldn't be here alone.

She shouldn't be here alone.

"Are you sure you can't make it?" she asks desperately over the comm.

There's white noise over the open end of the line, followed by a grunt. " _Pretty sure_ ," Kara says breathily.

Alex's knuckles whiten as she clenches the steering wheel tighter. Her fingers are starting to prick needle-warnings at her before she speaks again. "I'm not supposed to be picking up my mom alone."

" _Alex_ ," Kara says in an exasperated voice, " _I'm kind of towing a ship_ _to shore at the moment. I have to be careful. As much as I'd love to be there with you, I can't. Things will be fine._ "

Kara's voice cuts out and Alex knows that further pleading is useless. She'd already known Kara couldn't make it, but a part of her couldn't help but hope. Her mom usually behaves around Kara.

She can already imagine all the things Eliza will have to say about Kara becoming Supergirl. She doesn't want to think about what would happen if Eliza were to find about other...recent developments.

Alex knows she's stalled long enough, so she unbuckles her seatbelt and exits her dark sedan. The airport is fairly congested for a weekday, no doubt due to the next day being Thanksgiving. Alex has never been particularly fond of holidays.

Her step falters and a smile flashes on her face. Well - she loves being with Kara for holidays, but couldn't care less about all the rest of the trappings and expectations that come with the too busy and too crowded days.

She tucks her hands into her jean pockets and stalks forward as the makes it out of the parking garage and into the airport. Her mom's flight number and arrival gate are memorized, and she makes her way there slowly and resolutely.

A quick glance on the way determines she's headed for the correct terminal and - of course - her mom's flight is arriving slightly ahead of schedule. She silently hopes that people take their time unloading luggage.

She loves her mom, and that's the problem. Her dad had always been their buffer - that one piece that fit perfectly and kept things at home working smoothly and effectively. Losing him had hurt them all, but she and her mother haven't been able to communicate well since.

Namely, her mom tended to make her feel like crap without even trying. She'd resented Kara briefly for it, but had found Kara to be an undeniable solace against Eliza's critiques and criticisms.

A crowd of people starts through the glass doors she's keeping an eye on, and she focuses to try and distinguish her mom from the rest of the departees. A flash of blonde hair grabs her attention and she has to wipe her palms against the denim of her jeans.

Sure enough it's Eliza. Alex smiles, nervous but almost childishly hopeful that this time will be different.

"Hey Mom," she greets Eliza casually and steps forward.

Eliza smiles in return, releasing the handle of her rolling suitcase and stepping forward with open arms.

Alex's sigh of relief is inaudible as she steps into the circle of her mother's arms.

"Hey honey," Eliza says warmly. She squeezes Alex briefly before pulling back. "Where's Kara?"

"Oh, uh, she got held up at work," Alex admits as she awkwardly bobs her head. She can't remember the last time she's felt this uncomfortable.

Her biceps are gripped lightly as her mom examines her face. "Has the lab been keeping you busy? You look tired."

Alex tries to smile, but she's unsuccessful. "You know how things get," she says with a shrug, "there's always bad guys that need to be put away."

Eliza makes a noise of disapproval in her throat. "Though that sort of work is admirable honey, the government is just high stress and low pay."

Now Alex does smile, but it's brittle. She learned long ago that arguing is pointless. Her mom has her opinions; they might as well be chiseled into large slabs of stone.

She steps back from the loose embrace that suddenly seems like a trap and gestures toward an escalator. "Did you just bring the carry on, or do we need to stop by baggage claim?"

"Just the carry-on." Eliza's eyes wander. "Where's your sister? Getting something to eat?"

A wave of discomfort rolls over Alex when she hears _sister_. She clears her throat. " _No_ , Kara got held up by work. I just told you that."

There's a pause and Alex can see in the subtle deepening of lines around Eliza's mouth that something not-good is coming. "That woman works her too hard."

Alex could choke in her relief. "I couldn't agree more," she says as she turns to lead the way to the car. She's glad for the crowd of the airport; Eliza is most definitely aware of the changes in National City - namely a rather important change of the Kryptonian variety.

She decides not to mention that it's actually Supergirl business keeping Kara away.

They make small talk as Alex leads the way to the car, careful to be the one asking questions and leaving her mother busy considering the answers. It helps that Alex does have _some_ interest in her mother's work, but mostly she's appreciative of her DEO training that's done wonders to help her navigate tricky interactions with ease.

Everything goes well until her mom's bag is packed in the trunk and they're settling into the car. Alex, intent on trying to avoid an uncomfortable discussion during the drive, makes the mistake of turning on the radio.

" _...clearly learned from that blunder with the oil tanker. Supergirl continues her streak of good dee-_ "

She swaps the player from the radio to her mp3 player, but the damage is done. The air is tense as she pulls from her space and queues up to exit. As she pays for parking, she thinks _maybe_ the talk will be avoided, but they've been on the highway for mere seconds when Eliza reaches out and turns the radio off.

"Held up by work, hm? Alexandra, I don't understand how you could let Kara do this," Eliza says in a voice full of disappointment and anger.

Alex's shoulders tense. She's used to her mother's disappointment, but it still just makes her so _tired_.

"Mom, I co-"

"What is wrong with you? You're supposed to look out for her!"

"Kara is a-"

"I thought you understood, especially after we lost your father."

Her mother's glare burns like heat vision - at least that's what Alex concludes as her face grows hot under Eliza's intense scrutiny. She clenches her jaw, not wanting to waste her energy trying to explain anything when it's clear that no explanation is good enough for her mother right now.

 _I'm glad to see you too, Mom_ , she thinks bitterly.

* * *

Kara pushes herself harder the closer she gets to home, slowing only when she needs to approach her open patio doors. She lands with the barest of sound, tugging on her cape with both hands nervously as she steps further in.

Eliza is on the couch, stirring a spoon in a mug of what is probably tea. Kara peeks around and doesn't spot Alex. She hides her frown and approaches her foster mom.

"Eliza," she greets cheerfully.

The relaxed smile that Eliza gives Kara has her shoulders easing just a little. Maybe Alex had needed to make a run to the store.

"Kara," Eliza says warmly as she pulls Kara into a hug.

Kara smiles and returns the hug, pulling back after a few beats. "Where's Alex?"

There's a minute twitch to Eliza's lips. "I think she had to step out for a bit. Did you need her for something?"

"No, I just thought she'd be here too since she picked you up." _And she's usually here anyway_ , her mind adds.

"Oh, well you know your sister. She's always got her own things going on." Eliza's smile is a little too wide, but Kara nods along anyway.

These days Alex doesn't have much going on that Kara isn't aware of. When they're not working, they're together - on dates or just hanging out at Kara's apartment. Alex has taken to chatting with her over the comm while she patrols National City.

All in all, they usually know what the other is doing. Maybe things are better this way for now though. It'll be easier to explain one absence rather than two, and she and Alex are required back at the DEO soon.

"How was your flight?" Kara asks. She doesn't want to discuss Alex too much in her absence.

The subject change goes well, and she and Eliza chat a bit while Kara tries not to watch the clock.

Just as Eliza asks if Kara intends to remain in her Supergirl outfit the entire evening, the comm beeps in her ear. Kara presses it in relief. She holds up a hand in a silent plea for patience. "Yeah?" she asks as she faces away from Eliza.

" _Don't forget you're needed back here soon_." Alex's voice is even and professional, but Kara feels immediate relief upon hearing her voice. She wants to ask questions, but knows she can't with her audience.

"I haven't forgotten. I'll be there soon."

" _See you soon_."

Alex is gone before Kara can deliver a farewell. She resists sighing and instead turns to offer Eliza an apologetic smile. "I have something to do."

Eliza is frowning at her. "You work with people as Supergirl?"

"Yeah, a few." Kara rubs her thigh nervously.

"Is that a good idea? The less people that know about you, the better."

The statement is close enough to what Alex says so often that Kara has to bite her lip. "I know, but I trust my friends."

Eliza looks as if she wants to say more, but she only shakes her head. "If you say so, honey."

Kara gently clears her throat. "Anyway, that was a reminder that Supergirl is needed for something this evening. I should be back in a couple of hours at most. There's takeout menus by the phone if you get hungry."

She almost feels guilty that she's relieved to leave Eliza behind, but she reminds herself it's not so much Eliza she's trying to escape - she just needs a little privacy to speak with Alex.

The flight to the DEO doesn't take long, but she hails Alex over the comm anyway.

"Hey, why weren't you at the apartment?" she asks without preamble.

There's noticeable silence before Alex responds. " _I needed to take care of some things before tonight_."

"Yeah, like what?" Kara doesn't want to let this slide. Eliza and Alex are both terrible about expressing themselves properly when the other is involved.

" _Just some things_."

"Alex," Kara says with a sigh, "please just tell me what happened."

" _I...there's no time. The general and his men are here already._ " Alex pauses and Kara can hear her soft breaths despite the roaring wind that passes Kara's ears. " _Mom just always knows how to get to me_."

Kara presses her lips together in displeasure. She and Alex have talked about things that Alex has always been careful not to mention before - small, broken thoughts Alex is only comfortable revealing in the dark. Eliza has always been exceedingly kind to Kara, and it's been difficult for her to recognize the undue harshness Eliza has subjected Alex to over the years.

She gets a funny feeling in her chest when she realizes that Eliza always saves the harsher critiques of Alex for when she's not around. It isn't until she's walking into the DEO that she recognizes this feeling as anger.

It's the same kind of anger she feels when Miss Grant makes unnecessarily nasty comments about her appearance or performance - or when she does the same for Winn and anyone else unlucky enough to be in her path when she's in a mood. Lucy has been helping with that, but Miss Grant has been cleverly biting her tongue when Lucy is around.

Her anger eases when she catches sight of Alex. She smiles, but Alex looks grim.

"Supergirl," Hank says seriously as Kara approaches, "this is General Lane. He's in charge of the test today."

Kara can tell by the sour look on Hank's face that he doesn't like the balding older man in uniform. Kara has to check the name tag several times to confirm that this man is a Lane. Lucy has mentioned him before, but he looks nothing like Lucy.

"Ah yes, so this is Supergirl." General Lane's mouth twists into a scowl. "Glad to see you haven't destroyed National City yet."

As another man steps forward and introduces himself as Dr. Morrow, Kara thinks that maybe there _is_ a family resemblance; Lucy had scowled at Supergirl just like that when she'd thought Supergirl was flirting with Alex.

She focuses on the general again. The resemblance only goes so far, especially as General Lane continues staring at her. Contempt practically oozes from his pores.

"Hopefully projects like Red Tornado will eliminate the need for _foreign_ help," General Lane all but sneers.

There's no doubt in Kara's mind that when he says foreign he really means _alien_. The spark of anger she felt before ignites again.

"Let's get on with this," Hank says flatly.

Kara's fists are clenched. A quick glance confirms that Alex's jaw is tense as she tries to control her own temper.

The sight eases Kara's fury right up until General Lane speaks again.

"Let's see how long she lasts," he says lowly to one of his men.

* * *

Alex's heart is in her throat as she watches the crimson robot step out of its case. She hadn't wanted Kara to do this, but Kara had made up her mind weeks ago and had refused to back out.

For a moment she forgets her mother and the asshats in uniform that are taking up space in the command tent. Kara is a striking figure in her Supergirl costume, the red cape fluttering lightly in the wind. Kara is strong and capable, and no hunk of metal is going to take her down.

"Twenty on the robot," one of the techs says as the robot steps cautiously in Kara's direction.

Alex scoffs and raises her chin. "Forty on the alien."

She crosses her arms and focuses on the large monitors. Kara has come a long way since her first forays into the world of superhero-ing, and Alex is proud of her progress.

"If at any time I don't like what I see, I'm ending this," Hank says in a near growl.

Alex sends a surprised glance his way, pride and warmth welling in her chest at his protectiveness.

"Unfortunately you have no authority over me _or_ this test, Director Henshaw." General Lane doesn't bother looking away from the monitors as he speaks. He waves a hand at Dr. Morrow. "You may begin."

Despite her confidence in Kara, Alex's stomach lurches. She worries any time Kara's involved in a dangerous situation, and she doesn't think that'll ever stop.

The fight commences and it's clear why Dr. Morrow has dubbed the crimson robot 'Red Tornado' as his hands spin and create whirlwinds of air that catch Kara by surprise.

One of General Lane's men makes a snarky comment as Kara is blown off her feet. Alex ignores him and instead tries to follow the blur that is Kara as she recovers and takes to the air. Red Tornado fires a few missiles haphazardly, but none seem to make contact.

The robot seems to be having trouble tracking Kara, especially as a red and blue blur makes a sudden dive for the dirt and plows through. Alex can just barely make out a furrow that appears behind the robot as Kara drills her way underground, popping up directly behind the too-slow Red Tornado and sending him head first into the dirt.

Kara lands and stalks forward, punching Red Tornado as he unsteadily regains his feet. Alex takes an unconscious step forward as her lips twitch up into a slight smile.

Red Tornado scarcely lands a punch before he's back on his knees.

"His system is damaged," Dr. Morrow declares in nervous voice.

Alex wipes the smile from her face and she finds General Lane scowling at the monitor.

"Stop it before he's scrap," he says sullenly.

Alex nods and lets her hair sweep forward to once again hide her smile. "Supergirl, you won," she says proudly over the comm. Her smile dips when Kara continues hammering at the mostly defenseless robot. She's never seen Kara this angry before. "Stop."

Kara uses her freeze breath to stop an incoming punch, snapping the limb off a moment later.

"Supergirl, stand down," Hank says in a commanding voice. Alex is relieved when Kara stops, only to blink in surprise when Red Tornado takes flight and flickers out of sight.

The tent is a mass of movement as they hurry outside.

"I can't see him," Kara admits as she squints up at the sky.

Dr. Morrow looks shaken. "You've triggered his survival protocol, he's in stealth mode. No one will be able to see or detect him."

Alex frowns, because Kara's superior vision should have _some_ impact on that. Human cloaking techniques are limited, but she files the information away for later. Kara is still visibly upset and General Lane is getting red and is no doubt about to say something that's going to make Alex want to sedate him.

She picks up Red Tornado's broken arm and studies it to keep her professionalism somewhat intact.

General Lane manages to hold his tongue until they're back in the central room at the DEO. He slams his hands down on the circular table set back from the communications hub and glares at Kara.

"Thanks to _you_ that malfunctioning thing is off loose in National City. Only God knows how many civilians will be injured or worse." His face is still red, mouth twisted into an angry grimace.

Alex's hands twitch as she considers a suitable untraceable tranquilizer that's potent enough to bring down the general quickly.

"You asked me to fight that thing! In fact, you got an _executive order_ to force me to do it." Kara's anger that had dimmed is flaring again. Alex is torn between wanting to comfort her and stabbing the general with something pointy.

General Lane is behaving like an ass and he's saying all the things that are going to make Kara feel worse and _Alex really does not appreciate this about him_.

"We're in this situation because you couldn't control yourself!" Spittle flies dangerously from General Lane's mouth as he addresses Kara.

"Speaking of self-control, perhaps you should work on that," Hank interjects cooly.

The area grows quiet, and General Lane's teeth make a clicking sound as he forcefully closes his mouth.

"Now that we're settling down, perhaps we should consider how we're going to find that thing," Hank says after a few moments.

Dr. Morrow fidgets with his tablet. "Well, it's not really simple. He was created not to be found in stealth mode."

"Hand over your notes and research, and then you'll be escorted from the building," General Lane says in a flat voice.

"Excuse me, sir?" Dr. Morrow both looks and sounds confused.

"You're done." General Lane's eyes are hard, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

Dr. Morrow looks distraught and ready to argue, but General Lane makes a motion to two of his men and then Dr. Morrow is being led forcefully away.

Alex's hands tighten around the broken android arm. They could have probably used Dr. Morrow's knowledge, but Alex doesn't feel like trying to argue with someone who would clearly cut off his nose to spite his face. She'll just have to do her own research.

"If you'll excuse me Director Henshaw, I'll get this to the lab so we can try to identify and design an effective way to track and locate Red Tornado." She ignores General Lane entirely. Hank nods with a grim expression on his face.

She throws a subtle glance Kara's way, hoping to get her attention.

Their eyes meet briefly and Alex feels relieved. She darts her eyes toward the lab and back, and Kara nods nearly imperceptibly.

Alex turns and leaves without further delay, hoping Kara will join her sooner rather than later.

* * *

Kara hurries away from the table a short time after Alex, hoping that the few minutes delay won't seem suspicious to the strangely attentive General Lane. Her steps get lighter the further away she gets from him, and her breathing is easier when she steps into the lab and finds Alex alone.

Alex is on her feet and hurrying toward Kara the moment the doors swoosh closed behind Kara.

"Alex," Kara nearly sighs out when they meet halfway and Alex pulls her into a hug.

She's not sure she could ever adequately describe how it feels to hold and be held by Alex, but she can't help but feel that both are more restorative than the golden rays of the sun.

"Are you okay?" Alex asks as the hug ends. Her face is a mask of worry, and Kara smiles.

"I'm fine," Kara says. She is - now.

"I've never seen you that angry." Alex's hazel eyes flick back and forth over her face.

Kara averts her eyes briefly, her lips twitching up into an embarrassed smile. "I haven't felt that angry in a long time."

"General Lane is a tool," Alex says with no small amount of derision.

"Yeah," Kara agrees with a nod, "but I was angry about other stuff before, too."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Alex looks uncomfortable, like she knows what Kara is about to say.

"Well, I was thinking about how Miss Grant treats me."

Relief flashes over Alex's face, followed by distaste.

She opens her mouth to speak, but Kara cuts her off gently. "And I was thinking of how Eliza treats you."

"Oh," Alex says with a sudden lack of energy.

"Yeah." Kara takes a deep breath and steps closer, bringing a hand up to gently tuck some of Alex's hair back behind her ear. "I don't like that she makes you feel so crappy."

Alex shrugs awkwardly and won't meet Kara's eyes. "I didn't say that she made me feel crappy."

"No, but you _did_ say she knows how to get to you." Kara wants to sigh. Alex clearly wants to avoid the subject, but Kara's tired of letting Eliza get away with making Alex feel so _small_.

Perhaps, even, she feels bad that she'd never realized that Eliza made Alex feel so inadequate - not until Alex had recently admitted it late one night after a phonecall from Eliza and too much wine.

When Alex finally meets her eyes, Kara's breath catches. For so long Alex has prided herself on being strong; as she looks up at Kara with her glistening eyes that are open and earnest, she looks _fragile_.

Kara leans forward and brushes a kiss on her forehead, moving slowly to trail kisses down to each cheek - and then Alex turns her head and their lips meet.

Her hand is in Alex's hair and it's so soft against her fingertips, but nothing can compare to how perfectly their lips fit together. Their bodies shift unconsciously closer as the kiss deepens. Alex's bottom lip is ever so supple, and Kara finds that she can't resist pulling it gently between her own.

A voice clearing loudly behind them has her pulling back.

Vasquez is grinning even though it's obvious she's trying very hard not to. Kara is just relieved to see a friendly face rather than the alternative.

"Agent Vasquez," Alex says as if they hadn't just been caught sharing an intimate moment, "was there something you needed?"

Kara thinks Vasquez does an admirable job of straightening her face into a semblance of professionalism. "I've retrieved a lot of raw data from Dr. Morrow's tablet - I thought you might want to take a look."

"I'll be right there, I'm just waiting on the results from a few tests." Alex turns her head and Kara can see a few of the machines working.

"Alright," Vasquez says. She waits until Alex looks away to send Kara a wink.

Kara grins, pleased for several reasons that she won't mention while at the DEO.

Alex is bent over a terminal examining a stream of data. Kara approaches her carefully. "Is everything okay?"

Alex braces her hands on either side of the computer monitor and takes a deep breath. "We shouldn't do that here."

The room is quiet as Kara bites the inside of her cheek. She and Alex are always affectionate at the DEO, but maybe Alex feels differently about kisses.

"Okay," she says.

Alex relaxes her shoulders and takes a step back to face Kara, offering an apologetic half smile. She blows out a steady breath. "I'm sorry, I'm still a little tense from...I guess just most of today."

"Are you going to tell me what Eliza said?" Kara asks softly.

She sees Alex's jaw tense and work before Alex nods jerkily.

"It's - it's not that she said anything I'm not used to hearing, but when she kept calling you my sister over and over again, it made me feel weird. It made me feel like I did when we were kids." Alex stops speaking and crosses her arms.

"Maybe we should just tell her." Kara's heart is pumping fiercely because normally she prefers not to stir things up with Eliza, but...but she _gets_ this.

"And have her blame me for yet another thing?" Alex scoffs.

"Hey - blame? What we're doing isn't wrong." Kara's hands flex at her sides, not liking where the conversation is headed.

Alex brings both hands up to rub at her face. "I know, I'm sorry. It's just, she just makes me, I feel so...I feel like everything I do is wrong."

Kara steps forward when Alex's voice cracks, rubbing her arms gently until Alex looks up.

"We're not doing anything wrong," Kara insists softly. She wants to pull Alex into a hug and more, but she knows now isn't the time. This isn't the place.

Alex smiles and is about to speak when there's an insistent beeping from the computer. She turns and frowns at the monitor, typing quickly and then stopping.

"I need to go look at Vasquez's data," she says as she collects a tablet and studies it, "because there's something really weird about this robot."

Kara doesn't have a chance to ask what because Alex is hurrying from the room before she can speak. Kara hurries after her.

With Alex and Vasquez evaluating the data together, it doesn't take long for them to figure out something important.

"There's no way this thing was created to combat insurgents," Vasquez says dourly.

"No," Alex agrees as she stares at their collective data, "it's clear this was created to combat one thing and one thing only; Kryptonians."

Kara's fists are clenched and she darts an angry look to where General Lane had been conferring quietly with his associates only minutes ago. He and his minions are gone, of course. "That jerk has some explaining to do," she mutters.

"The more intensive scans on that arm won't be done for a while. You guys should head out. There's nothing you can do until those scans finish." Vasquez looks pointedly between the two of them.

Alex grunts. "I'm going to talk to Hank first. Let me know the _minute_ we can track this thing."

Kara tries to relax, but she's too keyed up by the latest revelation about Red Tornado. She reaches forward before Alex can stalk over to Hank. "Hey, I'm going to fly around for a bit and then head home. Meet you there?"

Though Alex looks anxious at the prospect, she nods. "Yeah, sure."

"Good." Kara's stomach settles a little at the confirmation. She leaves the DEO smiling, knowing a little time in the sky will clear her head.

* * *

The apartment is dark and quiet when Alex slips in, and she stops moving after closing the door. Though she's spent most nights at Kara's the last few weeks, she considers leaving and returning to her own small place.

The debate is short-lived as she locks the door and continues on to the bedroom. Soft snores alert her to her mother asleep on the sofa, but she continues on.

Sleepovers had never stopped just because Eliza was visiting, and Alex feels it would be more out of character not to stay over rather than the alternative.

Though she's as quiet as possible getting ready for bed, Kara's eyes are half-open when she lies down.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," she says softly.

Kara smiles sleepily, and Alex doesn't try to resist the urge to lean over and kiss her. Kara's eyes are closed and her smile has turned into a grin when Alex pulls back.

Their hands meet in the center of the bed, and all of the day's disquiet fades. Alex can worry tomorrow. Tonight, she's allowing herself peace with Kara.

"I love you," Kara murmurs drowsily.

Alex squeezes her hand gently. "I love you too."

* * *

 

Alex tries very hard to remember the peace of the night before as there's a knock at the door. "I'll get it," she says as she hurries away from the kitchen - and her mother - as quickly as she can.

Winn smiles awkwardly at her and holds up two bottles of wine. "I, uh, wasn't sure if red or white was better," he says nervously.

"Thanks," Alex says. She takes both bottles from him and turns away.

He stumbles in behind her, fumbling with the door and closing it. Alex sets the wine down on the dining table. She stares at the bottles and then pushes them closer to spot she's picked as her own.

"Winn," Kara says brightly from the kitchen.

"Hi, Kara."

Alex turns back just in time to see him fidget with his tie and sit stiffly on the couch. He keeps looking anxiously between her and Kara, and Alex stifles a sigh. "Food's almost ready."

"That's right," Eliza says cheerfully as she checks on the rolls warming in the oven. "The rolls are almost ready. Kara, would you be a dear and set the turkey out? Alex, you should grab some of the sides."

She and Kara move automatically to comply, though Alex stalls in the kitchen long enough to swipe a corkscrew when her mother isn't looking.

"Would you like me to do anything?" Winn offers as he begins to stand.

"Oh, that's alright Winn. We'll be ready in a moment."

The approval in Eliza's voice makes Alex set the dish of sweet potatoes down harder than she should. Kara's love life had been one of the subjects Alex had been forced to endure in the long car ride to Kara's apartment.

Winn is just like the guys her mom had tried to nudge Kara toward in high school. _Hate to break it to you Mom, but Kara's not into any guys right now_. She scowls.

As she and Kara finish getting the table ready, Kara brushes close to her several times. After the third time they touch, she looks up to find Kara giving her a tender smile. The knot in her stomach eases, if only a little.

Eliza calls Winn to the table as she brings out the rolls, and they all get settled. Alex has the corkscrew out of her pocket as soon as her mother begins speaking.

Everyone around her engages in conversation, but Alex just focuses on the wine in her glass and wonders if Vasquez is ever going to contact her about potential ways to track Red Tornado.

As she sips at her glass of wine, she looks up to find her mother staring at her in with a smile that speaks of the patronizing judgement she'd always thought only southern ladies could perfect.

"You're having a lot of _fun_ , Alex." Eliza's still smiling, but to Alex it looks too sharp - too toothy.

"Of course, Mom. Family get togethers are always so _fun_ ," Alex says with a smile as equally fake.

"T-the food is delicious, Mrs. Danvers," Winn stutters out in attempt to ease the atmosphere.

Eliza's smile becomes genuine when she looks at him. "Why thank you, Winn. Tell me, how long have you and Kara been dating?"

"Eliza," Kara cuts in immediately, "I told you Winn is just a friend. I'm seeing someone...else."

"Well, how serious can it be if you've invited Winn for dinner?" Eliza offers Winn another smile.

Winn ducks his head and becomes very focused on his potatoes.

"Very serious," Kara says solemnly.

The dining table grows quiet, and Alex is overcome with tenderness. She ignores her mother and focuses how lovely Kara is tonight; her hair is up but the loose curls from her tail have slipped to the side to tickle at her long graceful neck. She's captivating in a way Alex has never been able to find in anyone else - man or woman.

"Well, when do I get to meet him?" Eliza's ebullient voice breaks through Alex's distraction.

Alex gulps down a large mouthful of wine.

Kara stares down at her plate before slowly looking up and meeting Eliza's eyes. "Her," she gently corrects.

Immediately Eliza looks at Alex. Alex worries that her mother _knows_.

"Alex, your sister is _gay_ and you didn't tell me?" Eliza says sharply.

"Bi," Winn says. His eyes widen when everyone turns to look at him. He shoves a large piece of turkey into his mouth and refuses to look up from his plate again.

Alex doesn't hear him, too focused on her mother and the word that echoes over and over again in her head.

 _Sister_. The word is as heavy now as it was when she was a teenager just figuring out that she might like girls - girl. One particular girl. Her eyes travel to Kara without warning.

Alex had come out to her mother years ago, and Eliza had been supportive enough that it had actually surprised her. She knows without asking that as supportive as her mother has been about her lesbianism, Eliza will _not_ support how she feels about Kara.

For her part, Kara looks pained. She's never liked or been particularly good at lying. She licks her lips nervously and looks at Alex. She looks like she wants to say something.

"Alex, is there anything else you want to tell me?" Eliza asks as the tension in the room rises.

Alex swallows and looks away from Kara regretfully. "Nope," she declares loudly.

Kara's disappointment is palpable, Alex can feel it without even looking up. She puts her wine down, unable to drink it with the acid churning violently in her stomach.

Her phone begins to ring and Alex rushes to answer it. She'd take an alien attack over dinner with her mom any day. "Danvers," she says as she answers the call.

" _Alex, I think we've figured out a way to track it_ ," Vasquez says without preamble.

"Great, are you sure it's working?" Alex is already standing.

" _Yeah, that's the other thing I'm calling about. It's on the move._ " There's a pause. " _Jones figured out something kind of...she thinks that the robot isn't fully autonomous. We think Dr. Morrow's sending it after General Lane._ "

Alex's stomach falls. She doesn't like General Lane, but she _is_ fond of his daughter - the very same daughter she knows he's having Thanksgiving dinner with tonight.

She hangs up without another word, turning to face Kara. "Kara, something's up at work and I think Supergirl should come too."

Eliza squawks a protest and stands. Winn rushes to her, his dimpled smile peeking out as he begins speaking rapidly to her. It's enough of a delay for Kara to nod along.

"Will you give me a ride to the DEO?" Alex asks as Kara moves to the patio doors. "You can get me there much quicker. We need to be quick."

"What is it?" Kara asks, darting to her room to discard her clothes and return in the blink of an eye.

Alex clears her throat. "They think Dr. Morrow is sending Red Tornado after General Lane."

Kara's eyes widen. "Lucy and James!"

"Let's go."

Alex's stomach flops as they take to the air.

* * *

Kara stops down right in front of the entrance to the DEO. "Alex, let me know if you find out anything important. I've got to go stop Red Tornado before he hurts anyone."

"Understood. I'm only grabbing some extra gear, then I'll be right after you." Alex steps back from Kara, her hands dragging along Kara's arms. "Be careful."

Alex's eyes are vulnerable for a scant second, and then she's turning around and jogging into the DEO. Kara nods solemnly to herself before taking off.

She's glad she knows the way to Lucy and James's apartment so well now, making good time as she pushes herself faster and faster.

The apartment building comes into sight, and she slows. Nothing seems out of place. Just as she's about to contact Vasquez, she sees a flicker of red off to one side of the building.

Her breath catches because it's Red Tornado hovering outside the section of building she's sure is occupied by Lucy and James. She frowns when she sees the robot has _both_ arms. She immediately presses the button for her comm.

"Vasquez, Dr. Morrow _definitely_ has something to do with this. Red Tornado's been repaired."

There's a heavy sigh over the connection. " _Yeah, that's what we thought. Too bad Director Henshaw decided that Red Tornado is the only objective_."

"Is Alex on the way?" Kara's watching Red Tornado, but so far it's only staring at the building. Maybe it _doesn't_ know which apartment is which yet.

Just as she's about to check with her x-ray vision, Red Tornado flies higher and his hands begin to twirl. Kara rushes him as Vasquez replies.

" _The team has almost arrived at your location, but...it appears Agent Danvers is pursuing Dr. Morrow. She's not responding to me_."

Kara doesn't have time to react to the words as she slams into Red Tornado from the side. The robot faces her before shimmering and disappearing.

She frowns and focuses on her hearing. There's a whooshing sound and she moves to the side just in time to dodge a vicious swing. She turns and slams her fist into Red Tornado's chest, pleased when he's knocked back.

Again the robot flickers, but its cloak only lasts a matter of seconds. Red Tornado freezes, but when Kara approaches it, it turns and flies in the opposite direction.

"Not this time," Kara mutters as she chases after it. They weave in and out of buildings, making sharp twists and turns as the robot tries to shake her.

She loses sight of it for a moment. They've almost reached the edge of the city, around an area that's mostly empty warehouses sometimes used for port storage. Kara lands and begins looking carefully around. She doubts Red Tornado's cloaking has suddenly started working again.

Kara scowls after a moment, because she doesn't see or hear anything in the buildings around her. She brings up a hand to her comm. "Alex, if you're there, I think I've lost Red T-"

Her words are cut off as there's a large splash and she's thrown from her feet. She hits a steel beam hard, falling the ground and sucking in a surprised breath to try and regain her equilibrium.

She's scarcely had a chance to look up when she's slammed in the face by a large metal fist.

* * *

Alex walks through the seemingly deserted building slowly, studying the steady signal on her tracker for a few moments before sliding it back into her pocket. The signal isn't moving, and she needs to stay alert.

She doesn't bother leaving her gun in its holster; she doubts Dr. Morrow sent Red Tornado after General Lane to demand an _apology_. She's cleared most of the building by the time she spots the stairs.

Her gut tells her that's the place, but she knows Morrow has to be there too. She takes a deep breath and descends the stairs carefully.

The room is cluttered with shelves of junk, dust and debris alerting her to the fact that this location has long been out of use for anyone other than Dr. Morrow.

The forty-thousand dollars worth of computer equipment set up on one long table confirms that she's found the right place. Dr. Morrow is nowhere in sight, and Alex frowns when a quick scan of the large monitors shows troubling phrases like 'neural link' and 'synapse connection active'.

She's about to contact Vasquez when Kara's voice echoes in her earpiece.

" _Alex, if you're there, I think I've lost Red T-_ "

There's a loud whooshing sound and a grunt. Alex tries to tell herself that Kara has trained a lot and should be ready to handle herself. She clenches her teeth and blindly stares at the data flickering on the largest monitor.

The only warning she has is the vague shape of a face reflected on the screen. She jerks to the side and trains her gun on the faltering Dr. Morrow.

He's still two strides away, and he's wearing an oddly shaped headset that looks active if the blue glow is anything to go by.

"Stand down, Dr. Morrow. This is over."

He presses his lips together and rolls his shoulders. "I devoted my entire life to Red Tornado. It's been over."

He leaps forward and brings up a metal pipe Alex hasn't noticed. She jerks enough to avoid a debilitating blow, but the strike still stuns her arm enough to make her lose her grip on her gun.

Dr. Morrow is off-balance from his overextended strike, and Alex knows she needs to disarm him and give herself more room to maneuver. She twists in and wrenches the the pipe to the side, hearing him hiss when his arm gets locked into a painful angle and she uses a newly freed arm to elbow him in the face. There's a metal clatter as the pipe hits the ground, and Alex focuses on hitting the exposed parts of his torso while he's still unsteady.

His kidneys feel the brunt of her adrenaline as she hits him and twists away, propelling herself a few extra inches by kicking him solidly in the solar plexus.

He's dazed by the hit to the face but he still comes at her, and she manages to dodge and deflect most of his wild swings. He's not using any particular trained fighting style, but his inexperience has its downsides. Or so Alex finds as he catches her by surprise with an awkward kick.

It's enough to send her stumbling back, where she's unlucky enough to slip on some refuse that had never been cleared up. She tries to roll as she falls, but there's a shelf in the way and she hits her head hard.

Dr. Morrow blurrily looms over her and her earpiece crackles.

"Shit," she hisses a moment before she spots her gun.

* * *

Kara rolls to the side to avoid another hit. She's _furious_ and ready to fight the red trash can she's already beaten before. She hits Red Tornado a few times, but it's quicker than before.

"What, did you get an upgrade?" she pants out as she tries to dodge another mini whirlwind it's created.

She works her way closer to the bright metal robot, but just when she thinks she'll get close enough to hit it, Red Tornado hits her center mass with a quick burst of wind. She's knocked back into the same steel beam as before, but this time Red Tornado rushes her before she can fall to the ground.

Kara lands a weak punch and a hearty kick, but Red Tornado is quick to take advantage of her confusion to twist and pull behind her so that her arms are incapacitated while it uses them to strangle herself.

She begins to panic as Red Tornado pulls harder, and the edge of her vision begins to dim when the comm crackles.

" _Shit_ ," she hears. There's nothing else, but it's enough for Kara to know that it's Alex - and Alex is in pain. Rage starts to boil in her gut, but she still can't move her arms.

She pushes with her legs to smash Red Tornado back against the steel beam once, then twice. The grip on her arms doesn't falter.

* * *

Alex scrambles for the gun, and manages to roll away from a kick as she feels the cool metal slide familiarly against her palm. She's on her feet and then Morrow is on her, trying to alternately land a heavy blow or wrangle the gun from her grip. She's too quick.

He growls as she twists away from him again, but this time he leaps forward and throws both arms around her in a too-tight hold. Alex is still dizzy from hitting her head but she knows that if he manages to get her gun, she's dead.

She elbows him in the solar plexus and kicks at the inside of his knee, half turning as his hands squeeze at hers. She's losing her grip so she throws all her weight backwards and squeezes the trigger.

It's the sudden cessation of movement that's most startling. She stares at him as the color washes from his face. She's panting and trying to focus on the fact that she's alive and Dr. Morrow is dead. She stares at him as he slumps over. He's not her first kill, but he's her first human kill in a long time.

When her stomach twists she's not sure if it's because of her head injury or the blank look on Dr. Morrow's face. She turns away from him and presses her comm on.

"Kara?" she asks hoarsely.

* * *

Red Tornado stops moving, and Kara is quick to jerk away. She's sucking in large lungfuls of air and she's having trouble thinking. She's only taken a few steps away from Red Tornado when it starts moving again.

The clouded feeling in her head fades as its bright yellow eyes focus on her. Her rage begins to boil up in her again because _it could have killed her_. It could have killed her after she's survived so much and endured so much - and only has just begun to do something that makes her feel alive, has found _someone_ that makes her feel alive.

 _Alex_. Why isn't Alex saying anything?

Red Tornado stalks forward and then she's so angry that it wants to take everything from her, that Dr. Morrow wants to take everything from her. She's already had _too much_ taken away and she's _tired of it all_.

The robot's hands begin to whir, and Kara is done waiting for it take everything away. She screams as the heat vision rages from her eyes in a blazing beam of light that only grows larger and hotter. She can barely make out its slowing form as she releases all the fury that she hasn't understood she's been holding onto.

And when the rage fades she's on her knees, blind and exhausted. Her chest heaves and she blinks as her eyes begin to cool. She doesn't hear any movement, and a slow look confirms that there's hardly anything left of the government project codenamed Red Tornado.

Her hands shake as she pushes off from the ground, and she can make out the distant sound of heavy tires crunching on gravel. Her backup has finally arrived. They should have gone to help Alex.

Kara's head hurts and her eyes are stinging, and she has to fight away the thought that the silence means she's lost Alex too.

" _Kara_?" comes the weak, rough voice just as the DEO team begins disembarking from their vehicles.

"Alex?" Kara nearly sobs in response.

" _Are you okay?_ " Alex's voice is a little stronger now.

"Are _you_ okay?" Kara echoes back with a relieved laugh and watery eyes.

There's a long sigh from the other end. " _Yeah. As long as...Kara, do we still have to go eat turkey with my mom?_ "

And Kara laughs so long and so hard that the DEO agents that swarm the area worry for her sanity.

She doesn't bother trying to explain why she's laughing.

* * *

"Okay, heeere we go," Alex murmurs as she helps a sleepy Kara up the last flight of stairs.

"These stairs suck," Kara mumbles as she leans her head onto Alex's shoulder.

"Yeah, well, tell your landlord to have the elevator fixed," Alex supplies unhelpfully as they approach the door to Kara's apartment.

She doesn't mind that Kara's leaning heavily into her side, or that their palms are getting sweaty from how long Kara's been holding onto her hand.

"Alex," Kara says as they finally reach Kara's door, "what if I never get my powers back?"

The words are barely more than a whisper, but Alex can easily hear the fear behind them. "You will."

Kara stops and pulls away, turning so they're facing each other. "But what if I don't?"

Alex smiles as she remembers a long distant memory of a young Kara asking if she'll ever be able to make friends at school. "You will. But, just in case you don't, keep in mind that you've already started training for a super secret agency that would love to have you on board for your knowledge of aliens alone. I'll help you complete your training then you can hang out with me at work and we can ignore Hank's orders together."

The worried expression on Kara's face only lasts for a moment, and then she's giggling and pulling Alex into a hug.

Alex grins and kisses Kara's cheek noisily, enjoying the hug until Kara squeezes her a little too strongly. "Oof, jeez Kara, watch it."

Kara freezes and then slowly pulls back. There's a quiet amazement on her face that makes Alex furrow her brow. "What is it?" she asks when Kara remains silent.

Kara's throat works before she meets Alex's eyes. "I was able to hug you exactly as hard as I wanted to," she whispers.

Tears shimmer in her eyes, and then Alex is pulling her back in for a hug. As Alex turns her head to offer Kara a reassuring kiss, the door to the apartment suddenly opens.

Eliza looks frazzled, and she pulls both of them into the apartment without preamble.

"Where have you two been? I've been worried sick. I know there was some kind of emergency, but there was hardly nothing on the news at all! What happened?"

The questions come out so quickly that it takes Alex a moment to remember that this is her mom and questions like this are usually followed by anger, then blame. She stiffens.

"We had some things to do," Kara says as she steps forward. "I'm sorry you worried, but we're okay."

"That's all you're going to tell me?" Eliza's worry slips to anger, and then she turns to face Alex. "Alex, yo-"

"No," Kara says as she physically steps in front of Alex. "You _don't_ get to blame her for everything. You need to realize that I'm an adult, and Alex is an adult. Just because you worry, that _isn't_ an excuse to make her feel so badly. You _don't_ get to bully her."

Alex's lips part in surprise as she peeks around Kara and sees the stunned look on her mother's face. She's overwhelmed with feeling as she steps around Kara and looks up at her determined face.

"I love you," she says as she leans up and presses their lips together. She means for the kiss to be quick - but Kara's lips are so soft...

Kara sucks in a surprised breath, but pulls her closer and they forget that there's anyone else in the building, let alone the room.

A high pitched noise comes to Alex's attention when she finally pulls back from Kara. Kara's lips are swollen and her blue eyes seem darker. Alex takes her hand as she steps back.

"Yeah, um, so Eliza," Kara says as her cheeks flush and she fidgets with her glasses, "this is the woman I'm dating."

Eliza's eyes are wide and her mouth is opening and closing comically, but at least Alex knows where the high pitched sound is coming from now.

She tries to keep herself from grinning, but then realizes she doesn't have to.

"So Mom, is there any turkey left? I'm starving."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are folks, you even got your romcom ending. ALLO has come to a close. I hope you enjoyed it. I know I loved writing it for all you lovely people.
> 
> I don't have any intensive plans for my next Alex/Kara fic, but I have ideas. I'm trying something new. I launched a Patreon and I plan to discuss the story ideas with patrons there so we can pick something great that I'm sure many people will enjoy. I'm looking forward to interacting more directly with people who love fic as much as I do. It's exciting. Stay tuned. :)
> 
> As for more immediate things, I'm still doing "They Do Exist!" Thursdays for Supergirl rare pairs. Well, there's one Thursday left in Feb, but I'm looking forward to sharing those ficlets with the tumblr crowd. (Eventually they'll all make it to Ao3, I'm just waiting to finish the month out.)


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